The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to upgrade its existing ‘1033’ National Highway Helpline with advanced technology. NHAI said on Monday that the aim of this initiative is to provide faster and better assistance to the people traveling on the National Highway.
Business News: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started preparations to make the emergency services available to passengers on National Highways across the country faster and more effective. Under this, NHAI will upgrade its existing 1033 National Highway Helpline with modern technology. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), real-time location monitoring and smart emergency response will be used in the new system.
The main objective of this upgrade is to provide assistance in the shortest possible time to the person seeking help in case of an accident, vehicle breakdown or medical emergency on the highway. Through the new technology, the location of the caller can be identified more accurately, which will make it easier for the concerned team to reach the spot.
AI technology will be used in 1033 helpline
According to NHAI, AI based systems will be included in the new generation 1033 platform. This will help in better understanding the calls coming to the helpline and prioritizing them. In particular, the ability to understand calls in different Indian languages can make this service more convenient for passengers.
Considering the linguistic diversity of people traveling on the highway, multi-language support will also be an important part of this upgrade. This can benefit those passengers who seek assistance in any other Indian language instead of Hindi or English.
With accurate location, help will reach the spot quickly.
One of the most important features of the new system of 1033 helpline will be tracking the exact location of the caller. During an emergency, many times passengers are not able to give correct information about their situation or the surrounding area. In such circumstances, location technology can prove very useful for relief and rescue teams.
According to NHAI, the new platform will help make the entire process from receiving a call to sending help smarter and faster. Response time can be reduced by providing emergency teams with quick access to actual situation and location information.
The role of human operators will be important
Despite the increasing use of technology, NHAI has clarified that the role of human operators will not end. Human judgment, experience, and ability to understand the situation are particularly important in serious emergency situations. AI and automation will be used primarily to identify calls, gather information, track location and deliver information to the right help. After this, as per need, human operators will be able to assess the situation and proceed with the process of providing appropriate assistance.
1033 National Highway Helpline was started in 2018
NHAI had started 1033 helpline in the year 2018 to provide emergency assistance to passengers. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People traveling on the National Highway can seek assistance from this toll-free number in case of medical emergency, vehicle breakdown and other difficult situations.
The 1033 service helps in providing assistance to facilities like ambulances, cranes and highway patrol vehicles. Currently, the helpline covers more than 1.46 lakh km long National Highway network and receives around 15,000 calls daily.