Ambulances across Maharashtra will now have to display fare charts to prevent overcharging. The decision comes after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) raised concerns about families being charged excessive amounts during medical emergencies.
It has been reported that ambulance operators were taking advantage of them by demanding unreasonable prices. In response to MNS’s complaint, the Transport Department has made it compulsory for all ambulances in the state to display pricing charts, as reported by FPJ.
Earlier, there was no fixed limit on how much ambulance services could charge, which often led to arguments between operators and patients’ families.
MNS had urged the Transport Office and the Transport Minister to take immediate action by installing both fare charts and meters in ambulances. Following this, the Transport Department issued a directive to display fare charts in every ambulance.
All transport offices in the state will now make sure that fare charts are displayed inside ambulances and near hospital entrances. This will stop ambulance operators from exploiting citizens during emergencies.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) 108 project is set to begin in late 2025. The project will be implemented in five stages across the state. To execute the program, the Public Health Department of Maharashtra has signed a ten-year concessionaire agreement with SUMEET SSG BVG Maharashtra EMS.