The Government is all set to ensure all taxis, buses, and public transport vehicles, will have to install location tracking device or GPS and an alert button from April 1. Only exceptions will be three-wheelers and e-rickshaws.
Amid reports suggesting most of the States had not done much to meet the target, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has reiterated the deadline (April 1) in a tweet: “From 1st April, 2018, passenger transport vehicles including taxis and buses are to be mandatorily equipped with GPS devices.”
There would be no extension to roll out these passenger safety measures in public transport vehicles, stated a senior official.
These devices shall be fitted by the manufacturer or dealer or the operators.
Though initially the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had proposed mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in buses with more than 23 seats, the proposal was dropped due to privacy concerns.
“Three-wheelers have been kept out of these mandatory installation of GPS and alert button since they are open. Passengers are more vulnerable in vehicles with closed structure,” said an official.
Quoting sources, a media report said the state transport departments are responsible for putting a system in place for tracking public transport vehicles.
Be it the transport department or PCRs (police control rooms), they will get alerted for taking quick action the moment any passenger pressed the alert button.
