Hyderabad: Ambulance drivers dread traffic

Hyderabad: The job of an ambulance driver is an onerous one. Not only do they have to stay alert at all times, they have to wade through traffic as safely as they possibly can. Many of them told Deccan Chronicle that their biggest problem was being stuck in traffic, knowing that a patient’s life depends on how long it takes for them to drive to the hospital.

Raja Babu, a driver of a 108 ambulance, is in his vehicle for 12 hours a day. He has to tend to at least five cases in this time. These cases can be from anywhere — just a few kilometres in the city, or on the outskirts.

“The daytime shifts can be quite difficult. There is a lot of traffic. A trip from Begumpet to the Gandhi Hospital can sometimes take an hour during peak times,” he said.

Mr Babu said people usually give way when they see the blue lights atop the ambulance. “Most people are considerate and move to the side of the road. But there are some special cases who are stubborn. In my experience, I have seen riders of two-wheelers have headphones in their ears and can’t hear the siren and horns,” he said. Having a siren makes quite a difference. For instance, the 102 ‘Amma Vodi’ ambulances launched by the government for transporting pregnant women to hospitals are not used in emergencies. Swami, a 102 ambulance driver, said, “No one gives us way on the road. We keep honking but vehicles in front stay put. They don’t budge. We request them to move aside, but they never oblige. Ours are not emergency services so we get no benefit of the doubt from the general public.”

Swami and his colleague Vinod said the traffic is often so bad that they cannot drive in any gear higher than second. “My left foot is always on the clutch. I am always in first or second gear,” said Vinod. They often drive over 200 km in a typical shift. “Trips within the city are a nightmare. We dread trips to Medchal or places on the outskirts. From Gandhi or Osmania hospital, it takes more than two hours for a one-way trip,” said Swami.

All ambulance drivers Deccan Chronicle spoke to said they had chronic pain issues. Vinod said his right knee pains a lot and keeps him awake on many nights. Swami said he had back issues. Raju, a 20-year-old driver and still in his youth, said he had severe back ache and knee issues driving through traffic for the past two years.

Lakshman, who drives a privately-owned ambulance, admitted that his life was quite stressful. “We have to drive patients and their families through traffic. It is a very stressful situation to be in. Most people give way but some don’t. The bad condition of the roads also makes our life difficult,” he said.

So, why does he do it? Lakshman said driving is the only skill he has. “I have to make money. I drive over 100 km a day, mostly in the city. It is very difficult to do, but what other choice do I have?” he asked. Almost all private ambulances do not have any air-conditioning. They can get extremely uncomfortable to be inside during the summer months.

Interestingly, many of the drivers declined to go on record or have their pictures taken. They all said they did not want to complain about their working conditions, lest they be removed from their jobs. One private ambulance driver said, “My seth (employer) cannot know that I have complaints about driving too long. He will simply fire me and find a younger, fitter driver. For now, this is my fate.”