Traffic cops launch helpline to report overcharging by ambulance owners

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 26

The Ludhiana traffic police today launched an initiative to prevent ambulance owners from overcharging Covid-19 patients for availing their services. The police took the initiative after receiving numerous complaints of overcharging by the kin of Covid patients.

The ambulance owners have been told to paste police helpline numbers on the vehicles and anyone who has any grievance can file a complaint of overcharging by calling on the number.

In case of any complaint, appropriate legal action will be taken against the accused.

“If any ambulance overcharges any one, the aggrieved can contact the police control room number 112 and the traffic police helpline ‘78370-18932. These numbers have been pasted on ambulances in the city.

The Joint Commissioner of Police (City 1), Deepak Pareek, the brainchild behind the initiative, said the purpose behind the initiative is to ensure that it acts as deterrence and no ambulance owner overcharges to ferry patients.

“We are encouraging the ambulance owners to display messages by traffic police on the vehicles, regarding the procedure to complaint against overcharging. Messages has been put on ambulances in both English and Punjabi,” added the JCP.

The JCP said apart from the putting these display messages, ambulance drivers and owners were also being told to put the price chart on ambulances as well so that people must know the price they should pay for hiring ambulances.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Varunjit Singh, who is in the implementing the initiative from the forefront, said since the initiative was started today, display messages were put up on over 50 ambulances.

The ACP said traffic cops visiting the hospitals to put these display messages. The city has over 500 ambulances and the traffic police would cover all ambulances in just few days.

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