Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Saathi Ambulance (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you use our ambulance booking platform, including the Saathi Customer mobile app, the Saathi Driver mobile app, our websites, and related services (together, the “Services”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in accordance with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (“DPDP Act”), the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules made thereunder, and other applicable laws.
By creating an account or using the Services, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.
1. Who this policy applies to
This policy applies to everyone who uses our Services, including:
- Customers / Riders who book ambulances for themselves or on behalf of a patient.
- Drivers / Ambulance partners who provide transport services through the platform.
- Administrators who manage operations through our admin dashboard.
2. Information we collect
2.1 Information you provide to us
- Account & identity data: name, mobile number (verified via OTP), email address, and profile details.
- Booking & patient data: pickup and drop-off locations, hospital or destination details, ambulance type requested, and any patient or emergency details you choose to provide (such as patient name, age, or a description of the medical condition). Health-related information is sensitive and is collected only to fulfil and prioritise your ambulance request.
- Driver onboarding (KYC) data: for drivers and ambulance partners — driving licence, vehicle registration certificate, insurance, permits, photographs, bank/UPI details for payouts, and other documents required for verification and compliance.
- Payment data: billing details and transaction records. Card and bank payment credentials are processed directly by our third-party payment gateway; we do not store full card numbers on our servers.
- Communications: messages, call records routed through the platform, support requests, and feedback.
2.2 Information collected automatically
- Location data: we collect precise (GPS) and approximate location to show nearby ambulances, match riders with drivers, navigate, calculate fares and ETAs, and track trips in real time.
- For the Saathi Driver app, we collect location in the background (even when the app is minimised) during an active duty or trip, so that riders and our operations team can see the ambulance’s live position. Background location collection stops when you go off-duty or the trip ends.
- For the Saathi Customer app, location is collected while you are using the app to set pickup points and track your assigned ambulance.
- Device & usage data: device model, operating system, app version, device identifiers, IP address, log data, crash reports, and how you interact with the Services.
- Push notification tokens: to send booking updates, trip alerts, and important service messages.
3. How we use your information
- To register and authenticate your account.
- To receive, dispatch, match, route, and complete ambulance bookings.
- To enable real-time tracking and navigation during a trip.
- To process payments, fares, commissions, and driver payouts.
- To verify driver and vehicle documents and meet legal and safety requirements.
- To communicate with you about bookings, support, safety, and service updates.
- To ensure safety, prevent fraud and misuse, and resolve disputes.
- To improve, analyse, and develop our Services and operational performance.
- To comply with legal obligations and lawful requests.
4. Legal basis and consent
We process your personal data based on your consent and, where applicable, for the performance of our Services to you, to comply with legal obligations, and for legitimate uses permitted under the DPDP Act (such as responding to a medical emergency or threat to life or safety). You may withdraw your consent at any time as described in Section 8; withdrawing certain consents (for example, location access) may prevent us from providing the Services.
5. How we share your information
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as needed to operate the Services:
- Between riders and drivers: to fulfil a booking, we share relevant details such as name, masked or in-app contact, pickup/drop location, and live location with the matched driver or rider.
- Hospitals / healthcare facilities: destination and relevant trip details may be shared with the receiving facility where required to coordinate care.
- Service providers: payment gateways, mapping and location providers, cloud hosting, SMS/OTP and notification providers (including Google Firebase), and analytics and crash-reporting tools, who process data on our behalf under appropriate safeguards.
- Legal & safety: with law enforcement, regulators, or other parties when required by law, to enforce our terms, or to protect the rights, safety, and life of any person.
- Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or reorganisation, subject to this policy.
6. Data retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active and as long as needed to provide the Services, comply with our legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When data is no longer required, we delete or anonymise it.
7. Data security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures — including encryption in transit, access controls, and secure infrastructure — to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, including the DPDP Act, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct or update inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Request erasure of your data, subject to legal retention needs.
- Withdraw consent previously given.
- Nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of death or incapacity.
- Grieve and seek redressal through our Grievance Officer (Section 12).
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@saathiambulance.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
9. Children’s privacy
The Services are not intended for use by children to create accounts. We do not knowingly collect personal data from a child for account registration without verifiable consent of a parent or lawful guardian. Patient details for a minor may be provided by a booking adult solely to arrange transport.
10. Third-party services and links
The Services may rely on or link to third-party services (such as maps, payment gateways, and notification providers). Their use of your information is governed by their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will revise the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you through the app or other means. Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact us & Grievance Officer
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this policy or your personal data, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact our Grievance Officer:
Saathi Ambulance — Grievance Officer
Email: support@saathiambulance.com
We will acknowledge and address grievances within the timelines prescribed under applicable law.