A chance 4am Uber ride in Pune turned into a powerful lesson for startup founder Vik Gambhir when his driver — a former ambulance operator with over a decade of experience — proposed that every aspiring motorist should spend a week driving an ambulance before receiving a licence. The driver described vehicles refusing to give way, blocked intersections, and cars carelessly parked during emergencies. His insight, shared by Gambhir on LinkedIn on May 31, 2026, struck a chord online, with many calling it a profound commentary on the lack of empathy on Indian roads.
In-Depth:
“When you drive your own car, traffic is an inconvenience. When you drive an ambulance, traffic is life or death,” – one sentence from a former ambulance driver has sparked a conversation online after a startup founder shared the eye-opening lesson he received during an early-morning Uber ride in Pune.
Startup founder Vik Gambhir shared the conversation on LinkedIn, recalling how he and his driver were chatting casually to stay awake during the early-morning journey. Amid the light conversation, the driver created a statement that immediately caught his attention.
“Sir, India’s traffic problem has a very simple solution,” he declared.
Gambhir admitted he initially brushed it off, assuming it was another unsolicited opinion on traffic. But the driver quickly revealed that he had spent more than a decade driving ambulances, a detail that transformed the conversation.
Drawing from years of firsthand experience, the driver suggested that every aspiring motorist should spfinish a week driving an ambulance before receiving a driving licence.
“Not sit in one. Drive it,” he explained.
He went on to describe the realities he witnessed during emergency runs: vehicles refapplying to build way, motorists blocking intersections, cars parked carelessly for “just two minutes”, and even drivers attempting to overtake ambulances to save a few seconds.
For ambulance drivers, he explained, every delay carries a different weight. Behind the siren could be a patient struggling to breathe, a critically injured person, or family members desperately hoping to reach a hospital in time.
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The founder later reflected that a week spent navigating traffic in an ambulance might teach responsibility and empathy far better than many conventional driving tests.
The post resonated strongly online, with many utilizers praising the driver’s perspective. Several commenters agreed that road utilizers often forobtain the human emergency unfolding inside an ambulance.
Others declared the driver’s suggestion highlighted a deeper issue — a lack of empathy on Indian roads. Many called the insight one of the most practical and meaningful lessons on traffic behaviour they had come across in a long time.
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