MoRTH mandates use of VLT devices and emergency buttons for all new public service vehicles

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has mandated the use of vehicle location tracking (VLT) devices and emergency buttons for all new public service vehicles except for autorickshaws and e-rickshaws, registered on and after January 1, 2019. In the case of older public service vehicles, registered up to December 31, 2018, the date for installation of VLT devices and emergency buttons will be notified by the governments of the respective states and union territories (UTs). The state and UT governments are required to ensure the timely execution of this order and check the fitment and functional status of the VLT devices in the public service vehicles at the time of providing fitness certification to the vehicles. Further, command and control centres will be set up by the state, VLT manufacturers or any other agency authorised by the state government, and these centres will provide interface to various stakeholders such as the state emergency response centre, the transport department, regional transport offices, the MoRTH and its designated agencies, device manufacturers and their authorised dealers, testing agencies, permit holders, etc. These centres will also provide feed to the VAHAN database or the relevant database of the state with regard to overspeeding and the health status of the device. Public service vehicle owners have to ensure that the VLT devices installed in their vehicles are in working condition and send the required data regularly to the corresponding back-end system through cellular connectivity. This move has been taken to enhance the safety of passengers.