NHAI plans technology upgrade of 1033 National Highway helpline
NHAI plans to transform its 1033 National Highway helpline with AI, real-time location tracking and smart dispatch to provide faster emergency assistance to highway users.
The Next Generation 1033 system is expected to bring faster call handling and dispatch of assistance to the required location.
NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to upgrade its 1033 National Highway helpline with artificial intelligence, real-time location tracking and smart emergency-response technologies to provide faster assistance to highway users.
The upgraded Next Generation 1033 platform is expected to improve the handling of emergencies, vehicle breakdowns and other highway-related problems by identifying callers’ locations, supporting multiple Indian languages and enabling quicker deployment of appropriate assistance.
Human operators will continue to play a key role, particularly in emergencies requiring judgement and decision-making.
24×7 helpline handles 15,000 calls a day
Introduced in 2018, the 1033 helpline operates round the clock and currently covers more than 1.46 lakh km of National Highways. It receives around 15,000 calls every day and provides assistance in multiple languages.
The helpline currently assists users during medical emergencies and vehicle breakdowns and facilitates the deployment of ambulances, cranes and patrol vehicles. It also handles toll plaza and FASTag-related issues and other problems faced by highway users.
The Next Generation 1033 system is expected to bring faster call handling and dispatch of assistance to the required location. Real-time location capture will help emergency teams identify the caller’s position, while AI-assisted multilingual capabilities are expected to make the service more accessible to users across the country.
The platform will also incorporate intelligent dispatch systems to identify and send the most suitable ambulance, crane or patrol vehicle. Proactive alerts about incidents and other developments, along with better coordination between the helpline, emergency services and highway operations teams, are also envisaged.
Industry invited to develop next-generation platform
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company promoted by NHAI, has invited an Expression of Interest from companies and consortia for the development, design, deployment, operation and maintenance of the Next Generation 1033 Helpline and Call Centre.
The project requires expertise in software development, digital platforms, 24×7 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 have been encouraged to participate.
IHMCL will also seek technical suggestions and industry inputs while developing the platform. Industry best practices will be considered to create a reliable, scalable and future-ready system.
By combining advanced technology with human support, NHAI aims to make emergency assistance on National Highways faster, better coordinated and more convenient for citizens.
