The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued two draft notifications proposing amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, aimed at strengthening emergency medical response and enhancing road safety through connected vehicle technology.
The proposed amendments seek to establish a regulatory framework for two-wheeled road ambulances and introduce the phased implementation of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems in motor vehicles.
The ministry said the proposed framework for two-wheeled road ambulances is intended to improve rapid emergency response and last-mile access to medical care, particularly in rural and remote areas as well as hilly terrain where conventional ambulances often face mobility constraints.
At present, two-wheeled ambulances are not recognised as a separate vehicle category under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. The draft amendments propose adopting AIS-209 (Part 1):2026, which lays down construction and functional requirements for life support two-wheeled road ambulances.
Under the proposal, L2 category two-wheeled road ambulances manufactured on or after October 1, 2027, will be required to comply with the new standard. These vehicles will be treated as transport vehicles and will undergo mandatory fitness inspections every two years. The inspections will cover key safety features, including secure mounting of the patient-conveyance unit, stretcher locking mechanisms, patient restraint systems, emergency warning lights, loading and unloading mechanisms, tyres and fire extinguishers.
The standard also specifies requirements related to vehicle stability, braking performance, rear visibility, coupling integrity, emergency warning devices and protection of patients from environmental exposure. The ministry said state governments will determine the areas where such ambulances can operate.
In a separate draft notification, the ministry has proposed the phased introduction of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems to improve road safety through connected vehicle technology.
The system enables vehicles to exchange real-time information such as speed, position, direction and acceleration, allowing timely warnings in situations involving sudden braking, forward-collision risks, unsafe lane changes and approaching emergency vehicles.
According to the draft, vehicles in L, M and N categories manufactured on or after October 1, 2027, will be required to comply with AIS-230 if they are equipped with V2V communication systems. From October 1, 2028, all newly manufactured vehicles in these categories will be required to be fitted with V2V systems conforming to the standard.
The ministry said the phased implementation would provide sufficient time for vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders to prepare for compliance.
AIS-230 specifies the minimum technical, functional, environmental, performance and cybersecurity requirements for factory-installed On-Board Units using Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.875 GHz to 5.925 GHz frequency band. The frequency band has already been exempted from licensing requirements by the Department of Telecommunications.
The proposed standard also includes safety applications such as Emergency Brake Alert, Forward Collision Warning, Wrong-way Driving Alert and Emergency Vehicle Alert, which are expected to complement Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and improve vehicle situational awareness.
The Ministry said both draft notifications have been placed in the public domain for stakeholder feedback. Suggestions and comments will be considered after the expiry of 30 days, following which the amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, will be finalised.
