Vehicle location tracker, panic button mandatory for FC

Public transport operators to comply by November 30, 2024; RTOs to act firmly against erring vehicle owners

Mysore/Mysuru: The Central and State governments have taken a tough stand on women’s safety, especially after Nirbhaya case (2012 Delhi Bus Gang Rape and Murder) directed all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) not to issue Fitness Certificates (FC) to public transport vehicles in which Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) and buttons are not installed panic.

In response to the public outcry across the country demanding stronger safety measures for women, there have been persistent calls for safe travel in public transport vehicles such as taxis.

In response, the Central Government decided to introduce modern technologies to improve the safety of women and children in public transport, following the example of measures taken in developed countries.

From 1 December 2023, it was made mandatory to install VLTDs and panic buttons in these categories of vehicles to prevent cases of sexual harassment of female commuters. However, the response from transport operators was poor, even though the deadline for installing VLTDs and panic buttons was approaching 30 November 2024.

According to statistics from the Department of State Transport, a total of 604,000 vehicles are waiting for the installation of safety devices, and only 1,309 of them have complied with the order to install safety devices.

Currently, several hundred vehicles apply for FC every day, but most do so without the required safety equipment. Owners remain indifferent to the regulation, even though there are five months left until the deadline.

Vehicle owners are requesting RTO officials to consider their FC renewal applications on similar grounds. However, RTO officials fear that if these applications are granted, they may face contempt for government order. Once FC is issued, vehicle owners often prefer to ignore the requirement for at least a year, missing the November deadline.

To facilitate compliance, the Centre has fixed the price for VLTD and panic button at Rs 7,599, with the provision that it will not pay any additional amount for these devices.

How do they work?

The panic button is a key safety feature for women and children traveling on public transport vehicles. If they feel unsafe or face danger, pressing the panic button sends an emergency message to the command center.

The command center can then instantly track the vehicle’s location, monitor the start and end points of journeys, and check whether the vehicle is driving on permitted routes or violating traffic regulations.

The warning message is forwarded to the relevant police, who use the available data to track the target vehicle. This feature increases the safety not only of women and children, but also of men, who can sometimes be exposed to kidnapping in public transport vehicles.

We have to submit a report to the central office on the number of vehicles equipped with VLTDs and panic buttons. However, most public transport operators are reluctant to install these devices, considering the time left for the deadline. We urge vehicle owners to follow the guidelines. While the latest models of vehicles come with VLTDs and panic buttons installed during production, older models lack this feature.” — Devika, RTO Mysuru West