On Camera: Hyderabad Ambulance Driver Misuses Siren To Stop For Snacks

A driver of a private hospital's ambulance here misused the ambulance siren to get traffic clearance for the vehicle but stopped at a roadside eatery to have snacks, police said on Tuesday.

A traffic policeman who gave clearance to the ambulance found that it had stopped near a roadside eatery instead of going to a hospital. No patient was found inside the ambulance and during enquiry it was found that the driver activated the siren in a non-emergency situation only to get traffic clearance. He also tried to cover up the traffic violation, police said.

There was no emergency and no patient was in the ambulance. There were two nurses, among others, in the vehicle, they said.

The incident took place on Monday night when the ambulance was passing through busy Basheerbagh Junction and its driver turned on the siren after which the traffic constable immediately cleared the route for the vehicle to move on, a senior police official said.

The traffic constable thought it was an emergency, but he noticed the ambulance stopping near a roadside eatery at a distance of about 100 metres from the traffic signal. He questioned the driver, which was recorded on a video camera worn on the body of the traffic cop.

In the body-cam footage, which has gone viral on social media, the driver, seen holding a fruit juice bottle in his hand, is heard saying there was some health issue with one of the the nurses.

To this, the traffic constable tells the driver, "After you turned on the siren, I gave clearance to the ambulance but without going to the hospital, you are eating 'mirchi bajji' and drinking tea. Where is the patient? For eating mirchi bhajji you turned on the siren?" The traffic constable further tells the driver that he will file a report and forward the video to higher-ups and "we will take serious action".

Subsequently, a fine of Rs 1,000 was imposed against the driver for "violating" the Motor Vehicles Act, police said.

"It was a non-emergency situation and the ambulance driver should not have used the siren. If it was an emergency, they should have gone to the hospital...they didn't and were found eating at a roadside eatery. Only for getting traffic clearance they put on the siren," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-I) Rahul Hegde told PTI.

"We will also intimate the hospital regarding the misuse. If repeated violations or grave violations are found, we will go for criminal case against such violators," the DCP further said.

Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar on Tuesday posted the video on Twitter, citing the misuse of sirens, and urged that ambulance services be used responsibly.

The DGP tweeted: "#Telangana Police urges responsible use of ambulance services... Genuine emergencies require activating sirens for swift and safe passage. Strict action against abusers is advised. Together, we can enhance emergency response and community safety".