National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to upgrade its existing 1033 National Highway Helpline with advanced technology to provide faster and better assistance to people travelling on National Highways. The upgraded 1033 helpline will use technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), real-time location tracking and smart emergency-response systems. These improvements will help the 1033 National Highway helpline identify the location of callers, understand calls in different Indian languages and send the right assistance to the location more quickly. Human operators will continue to play an important role, especially in emergencies where human judgement and decision-making are essential.

1033 Helpline provides round-the-clock assistance

The 1033 helpline was introduced in 2018 and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It helps National Highway users with:

• Medical emergencies.

• Vehicle breakdowns.

• Assistance from ambulances, cranes and patrol vehicles.

• Toll plaza and FASTag-related issues.

• Other problems faced while travelling on National Highways.

The helpline currently covers more than 1.46 lakh km of National Highways and receives around 15,000 calls every day. It also provides assistance in multiple languages.

What will improve with the new system?

The Next Generation 1033 platform is aimed at providing the following benefits:

• Faster assistance: Better systems for receiving calls and sending help to the required location.

• Location identification: Real-time capture of the caller’s location to help emergency teams reach the spot.

• Multilingual support: AI-assisted handling of calls in different Indian languages.

• Smart dispatch: Intelligent systems to help identify and send the most suitable ambulance, crane or patrol vehicle.

• Proactive alerts: Timely advisories to highway users about incidents and other important developments.

• Better coordination: Improved coordination between the helpline, emergency services and National Highway operations teams.

Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, has invited an Expression of Interest (EOI) from companies and consortia for the development, design, deployment, operation and maintenance of the Next Generation 1033 Helpline and Call Centre.  The initiative requires expertise in software development, digital platforms, 24x7 call-centre operations and emergency-response services.  Companies working in mobility and ride-hailing, logistics, quick-commerce, public safety, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Voice AI and Indian-language speech-recognition technologies are encouraged to participate.

Industry feedback to help develop the new platform

IHMCL will seek suggestions and technical inputs from industry experts to develop a reliable, scalable and future-ready system. Relevant industry best practices will also be considered while finalising the requirements.

The upgraded 1033 helpline is expected to make assistance on National Highways faster, more coordinated and more convenient for citizens. By combining technology with human support, NHAI aims to further improve the safety and travel experience of highway users across the country.

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GDH/DS/HJ

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