Location tracking devices for Vehicles from Jan 2019

From January next, public service vehicles, including cabs and buses, will have to be equipped with location-tracking devices and an emergency button. The new rule, aimed at ensuring passenger safety, is as per the orders from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.The Ministry, in a recent notification, said all new public service vehicles, except auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws, registered on and after January 1, 2019, will have to be equipped with Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) devices and emergency buttons.

VLT device manufacturers will assist in providing back-end services for monitoring. The regulation is being brought in to ensure safety of passengers, especially women, officials said, adding that the order was named as the Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Location Tracking Device and Emergency Button) Order, 2018.

In the case of older public service vehicles, those registered up to December 31, 2018, States concerned will notify the date by which these vehicles have to install the VLT device and panic buttons. The Ministry has already sent an advisory to States in this regard.

The Ministry also instructed States and Union Territories to ensure compliance with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and to check fitment and functional status of VLT devices in public service vehicles during fitness certification.

This apart, Command and Control Centres will be set up by the State or VLT manufacturers or any other agency authorised by the State government, and these centres will provide an interface to the State Emergency Response Centre, the Transport Department or Regional Transport Offices, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and its designated agencies.

These centres will also provide feed to the Centre’s VAHAN database or the relevant database of the State with regard to over speed, device and health status besides tracking vehicle’s movement.

The details of each VLT device will be uploaded on VAHAN database by VLT device manufacturer using its secured authenticated access. The manufacturers or their authorised dealers will register devices, along with details of vehicle, on the corresponding backend systems in real time.

Owners of public service vehicle have to ensure that VLT devices installed in their vehicles are in working condition and regularly send required data to the corresponding backend system through cellular connectivity, officials said.