Ambulance stuck in traffic held up for CM's convoy

Stopping an ambulance to clear the path for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's convoy has infuriated the public with many terming it “VIP culture.”

The incident happened when the chief minister was on his way to Ravindra Kalakshetra to attend ‘Bhageeratha Jayanti” organised by the Kannada and Culture department. As the convoy reached Town Hall, police stopped the traffic on JC Road. Among the vehicles stuck in the snarl was an ambulance. The siren and flash-lights of the ambulance were on, indicating that the driver was in a hurry to take a patient to a hospital.
However, traffic police did not allow the ambulance to move even as they made way for the chief minister's convoy.

“There were numerous cars of supporters that followed the chief minister's vehicle.  It took nearly 10 minutes for the whole convoy to pass. The ambulance was stuck in the same spot during this time," an eyewitness said. He said other commuters urged the police to make an exception for the ambulance. “But, police only shouted at them back. Once the road was opened for public, there was a huge rush and the ambulance took five minutes to cross Hudson Circle," he added.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he did not know that an ambulance was stuck in traffic. “If we had known, we would have allowed it to pass by,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood has ordered an inquiry into the incident. “Stoppage of any emergency vehicles especially ambulances is not allowed for any reasons. I have sought details about the incident, and necessary action will be taken if there is any lapse on the part of the police officials concerned,” Sood told reporters.