Shantidoot Ambulance Service

Running Shantidoot Ambulance Service means we spend a lot of time between the Railway Station and the hospital. It is a busy route. We started doing this because people needed a way to get back and forth when they aren't feeling well. The van is kept ready. It isn't a glamorous life, mostly just driving and making sure the patients are okay in the back. We know the roads around the station quite well by now. Traffic can be a real pain during the day, especially near the hospital gates. We just navigate through it. If you see our name on the side of a vehicle, that’s us. We don't have a big office or anything, just the vehicles and the staff who drive them. Most of our days are spent waiting for a call and then moving quickly. It is honest work. We don't do much advertising. People usually find us when they are in a hurry or in a bad spot. The sirens are loud, but they have to be to get through the crowds. We’ve had this ambulance for a good while, and it’s seen a lot of miles. Sometimes we have to take the long way around if there’s a festival or a march on the main road. You get to know the city’s rhythm after a while. We just keep our heads down and keep the engine running smoothly. That's the life of an ambulance driver here.