[Shivank]

How timely! We guys were discussing the same topic in college canteen today. The idea obviously came when one of the guys mentioned how dreadful the OMNI/Vans are as an ambulance.

Why not the Innova? Yes, it is too expensive but it's safe, spacious and quite fast from an ambulance point of view. I remember seeing lots of Qualis doing the job for one of the major hospitals in my city. So, why not the Innova?

[AWD]

Which Ambulance(diesel) can double up as a reasonable private vehicle?

Winger, Tempo trax, etc. are too big & awkward for personal use. Do the normal Bolero's, Scorpios, Safari's, Sumo's, Tavera's, etc. come in Ambu. guise too?

[DudeWithaFiat]

IMHO, for emergencies within the city, hospitals should have the Omni as one of their ambulances. They can simply find its way with ease through any traffic jams.

[ajman28]

TATA had displayed an Ambulance version of the ACE. It sure looks an impressive option when compared to Omni!

[jeepster]

TATA VENTURE AMBULANCE.

source: SPAROOW DESIGNS: TATA Venture Ambulance

Originally Posted by GTO

Tata Venture Ambulance gets the regular 1.4L 70 BHP TDI engine. Yep, it does have power steering too. Onboard capacity is 2 at the front, and 1 doctor + 1 assistant at the rear. The auto-loading patient stretcher runs 6 feet in length. There is a 12V electric connection for medical equipment & provision for an oxygen cylinder. The rear seats & stretcher are washable:

[AWD]

Venture Ambu. looks ok. How much does this one cost?

Any Bolero, Scorpio Ambu. versions?

[motionfreak]

Venture Ambulance LOL
ALL FOUR DRUM BRAKES !!! OMG
who will take the accident victims to the hospital?
the driver will be too scared to drive it fast and cut the lanes.

ECCO will be better

[silverado]

vehicle should change from location to location
For cramped cities/town with narrow lanes nothing beats OMNI.

For better comforts EECO is also an option.
For villages which are cut-off from main cities, should have a Force Traveller.

Venture now comes as a Ambulance built in factory.

While innova is ideal, it will never be considered owing to sticker price

[silverado]

Can Mahindra Maxximo passenger variant be a contender here?
It can be considered for small cities with narrow lanes.

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by motionfreak

Venture Ambulance LOL
ALL FOUR DRUM BRAKES !!! OMG

Venture Ambulance brochure mentions that front brakes have discs and the rear ones drums.

[Fuldagap]

Originally Posted by COUGAR

while reserving comment on whether its the best platform for an ambulance, i am surprised no one has mentioned the venerable gypsy! Maruti offers a standard factory made ambulance option based on the gypsy platform.

Once saw one of these effortlessly crossing a desert in a remote place called Rhongo while I was nursing a burnt clutch!

Now try getting these Winger-swinger toys to cross the Changthang desert carrying casualties! :|

I was wondering what type of suspension does the Gypsy ambulance use? Because the road going version is horribly bumpy and IMO can't be used as an ambulance. If it's different (and i'm pretty it would be) does anybody know what type of is it?

[Autokrat]

there is also one in the offing on the DOST from AL. Have seen few pics but yet to see one on road. The DOST seems to have a very good suspension and should make it a good candidate. Size cannot be compared to the traveller but still should be decent.

[silverado]

TATA WINGER is being used as ambulance in some companies in Hinjewadi -pune

Dost is a good option since the loading bay is quite long.
I hope they come up with a passenger varaint which can then be easily converted to a ambulance.

Force TOOFAN is a popular choice as well. ( elongated Trax ), can see many of them at SION hospital mumbai.

[Steeroid]

I had the misfortune of having to be transported by Ambulance recently. It was a relatively short trip, or at least the driver and his skills made it seem much shorter than it actually was.

The vehicle in question was a Tata Winger, and despite the pain I was experiencing I could take in some of the detail - the van was pretty silent even when driven hard (and it WAS driven hard), was extremely comfortable except when the driver swerved hard to avoid oncoming traffic that refused to move despite hi-beam, horn, siren and ambulance lights being on all the time, had no squeaks/rattles, was actually reasonably well-finished on the inside unlike other standard manufacturer ambulances that are built only to carry corpses.

I was chatting with the driver when possible - he claims a fuel average of about 8-9 when driven on 'trips' (like the one I was on...) and about 12-13 on 'return'. Pretty decent, I thought.

The best part is the low floor and the tall ceiling - you can WALK straight into the ambulance through the rear doors without having to contort yourself, and there is plenty of space for medical equipment, bystanders (if any), crew and a stretcher.

It was - without doubt - the best ambulance I've travelled on in India. The Tempo Travellers feel like the old Matador ambulances in comparison. And it belonged to a small rural clinic in a very small village in Kerala, not to a fancy hospital.

[josejoseph]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I had the misfortune of having to be transported by Ambulance recently. It was a relatively short trip, or at least the driver and his skills made it seem much shorter than it actually was.

Hey Santhosh, hope all is fine with you.

I also had a chance to travel very short distance in a Winger ambulance during an unfortunate event.

The space and comfort inside this vehicle is really worth mentioning.

-- Jose