If your car breaks down on a highway, help could reach you faster: How NHAI is upgrading its helpline to quickly dispatch ambulances, cranes & patrol vehicles

If your vehicle breaks down or you need emergency assistance on a National Highway, help could reach you faster in the future. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to upgrade its existing 1033 National Highway helpline with advanced technology to improve response times and make assistance more efficient.

The upgraded helpline will use technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), real-time location tracking and smart emergency-response systems, NHAI said on Monday.

NHAI 1033 helpline to use AI and real-time location tracking

According to NHAI, the next-generation 1033 platform will be designed to identify a caller's location in real time, understand calls in different Indian languages and quickly determine what type of assistance is required.


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The system is expected to help emergency teams reach motorists more efficiently by providing accurate location information and improving the process of receiving calls and dispatching assistance.

Ambulance, crane and patrol vehicle response to get faster

The upgraded system is expected to improve the way assistance is sent to motorists in need.

The 1033 helpline currently provides support for medical emergencies, vehicle breakdowns and road-related assistance, including the deployment of ambulances, cranes and patrol vehicles.

With real-time location tracking and smarter emergency-response systems, NHAI aims to reduce delays between receiving a distress call and sending the appropriate assistance to the location.

Human operators will continue to handle emergencies

Despite the increased use of AI, NHAI said human operators will remain an important part of the system.

Human intervention will be particularly important in emergencies where judgement, decision-making and an understanding of the situation are required.

The upgraded platform will therefore combine technology-driven assistance with human operators rather than relying entirely on automated systems.

NHAI 1033 helpline receives around 15,000 calls every day

The 1033 National Highway helpline was introduced in 2018 and operates round the clock, seven days a week.

It currently covers more than 1.46 lakh km of National Highways and receives around 15,000 calls every day.

The helpline also provides assistance in multiple Indian languages, a feature that NHAI plans to strengthen through advanced language and speech-recognition technology.

Next-generation 1033 call centre: What NHAI is looking for

Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, has invited an Expression of Interest (EOI) from companies and consortia to develop, design, deploy, operate and maintain the next-generation 1033 helpline and call centre.

The project requires expertise in areas including software development, digital platforms, 24x7 call-centre operations and emergency-response services.

Mobility, logistics and Voice AI firms invited to participate

NHAI said companies operating in areas such as mobility and ride-hailing, logistics, quick commerce, public safety, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Voice AI and Indian-language speech recognition are encouraged to participate.

The move is aimed at bringing together technology and emergency-response capabilities to create a more responsive highway assistance system.


Inputs from PTI