THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said that he would hold a high level meeting with Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar on July 1 to explore the possibility of engaging helicopters for emergency evacuation and for transporting organs meant for transplantation.
The minister was reacting to questions from reporters here on the differences between DGP T.P. Senkumar and Transport Commissioner ADGP R. Sreelekha over the question of over speeding by ambulances.
While the DGP had cautioned against over speeding by ambulances, the transport commissioner is of the view that speed limits cannot be fixed for vehicles engaged in life saving activities.
Mr Chennithala, however, said that there were no differences between the two officials. Both have stressed the need for preventing accidents on the roads. He said DGP had made the statement in the context of 55 accidents involving ambulances that had taken place in the state.
Sreelekha had pointed out that ambulances carrying patients should not be brought under the purview of speed limit. She had sent a letter to the Government demanding that a circular be issued in this connection.
The transport commissioner had even sent letters to motor vehicles department officials to exempt ambulances from the speed limit. Her stand was clearly contradictory to DGP’s directive that over speeding by ambulances would not be allowed.
Sreelekha had pointed out that since speed limit was not mandatory for ambulances under the central motor vehicles rules, the norm should not be enforced in the state.
In the event of saving a life if ambulances violate traffic rules, such violations should not be taken into account. However, any violation by ambulance drivers during non emergency situations should be held accountable.
The ambulance over speeding controversy surfaced in the wake of recent incident in Kollam.
The Kollam police had intercepted an ambulance carrying blood samples, twice. Following a report submitted by Kollam police commissioner on the issue, the DGP had cautioned ambulances against over speeding.
