Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed officials to integrate the state-run 108 ambulance service with private ambulances on a digital platform. The system is intended to ensure that the nearest available ambulance reaches road accident victims quickly, particularly during the critical golden hour after an injury. The proposal was discussed at the 13th meeting of the State Road Safety Council, held at Mantralaya and chaired by Sarnaik. The council met after a gap of more than three years, despite being required to convene twice a year. Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, Public Works Minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale and senior departmental officials attended the meeting. Sarnaik also proposed equipping ambulances with cameras and telecommunications facilities. These systems would allow doctors at hospitals to monitor patients remotely and guide medical treatment while they are being transported. He further called for an air ambulance policy covering the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway, other expressways, coastal roads and remote areas. Officials were directed to ensure effective implementation of the PM-Rahat scheme, which provides accident victims with cashless treatment of up to Rs. 0.15 mn per person for a maximum of seven days. The meeting also proposed a pilot project using electronic weigh-in-motion sensors to identify overloaded vehicles, along with remote-sensing technology to detect pollution from moving vehicles and integration of pollution-under-control certificates with vehicle and electronic challan systems. Road accident deaths in Maharashtra declined by 6 per cent during January-July 2026 from the corresponding period last year, despite an increase in the number of vehicles. Two-wheeler riders accounted for 60 per cent of road accident deaths in the state in 2025, while pedestrians represented 22 per cent. Eleven districts have been included in the Zero Fatality District initiative, which covers 100 critical districts nationally and is being implemented with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and SaveLIFE Foundation.