Greater Noida: Ambulances to be stationed at 14 accident-prone zones

Noida: According to Gautam Buddh Nagar Traffic Police, in the first four months of 2022, a total of 156 people lost their lives in 351 road accidents while 255 people have been injured. Also, 33 lives have been lost in road accidents at Yamuna Expressway alone in the first four months of this year.

To save lives in case of such accidents, the UP government has deployed ambulances (108 ambulance services) to 14 accident-prone areas (black spots). Through this initiative, the government aims to halve the death toll in road accidents in the district by 2030.

As gathered, ambulances will be deployed 24X7 in 14 accident-prone areas in Noida and Greater Noida. These are Mahamaya Flyover Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Zero Point, Yamuna Expressway, Zero Point, Mahamaya Flyover, Sector-37, Sector-26 Jaipuria Plaza, and Galgotia University among others.

According to officials from the district administration, if a road accident occurs in these places or anywhere near them, the ambulances parked at the designated places will immediately reach, provide first aid and take the injured to the nearest health centre. This effort has been made jointly by the Traffic Police, Transport Department and Health Department under the aegis of the district administration.

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Nehal Raza, regional manager, 108 traffic services say, "The work of saving people's lives is paramount to 108 ambulance services. Over the last year, the majority of the victims of road accidents taken to Community Health Centre or District Hospital have been saved. This has been possible because of better response time."

Brajesh Sharma, a member of 7X Welfare, a group working towards road safety in Noida says, "It is definitely a much needed and good initiative by the department. The first 5-15 minutes after a road incident are crucial in saving lives. However, it is worthing mentioning there is a need for better connectivity and awareness."

He continues, "It has happened a few times that you call 108, and ambulances are engaged, or the number doesn't work. These technical faults can be omitted. Some people also do not know about these helpline numbers. If all departments like Traffic Police, Police and ambulance can amplify such information, it can certainly strengthen the system."

Durga Subhramnyam, another road safety activist from Greater Noida says, "Accidents have become very common in Greater Noida. People do not follow traffic rules here and seldom are there any inspections or drives. It becomes paramount to better ambulance services then. This is a good initiative and I hope it brings a difference."