Out of 6.04 lakh public service vehicles registered with the Transport Department, approximately 5.94 lakh vehicles still haven’t installed the mandatory Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) devices and panic buttons.
The Transport Department has set a deadline of November 30 for all public service vehicles, including school vehicles, private service vehicles, maxi cabs, and motor cabs, to install VLT devices and panic buttons under the Nirbhaya scheme for the safety of women and children. The department has warned of legal action against vehicles that fail to comply within the deadline.
According to previous regulations, panic buttons were mandatory only in certain cities. However, this requirement has now been extended nationwide.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued orders regarding the installation of VLT devices and panic buttons, along with implementation guidelines. Following these guidelines, the state Transport Department has directed vehicle owners to comply with the requirements.
The installation is mandatory for contract carriages, school vehicles, private service vehicles, maxi cabs, motor cabs, and goods vehicles with National Highway permits.
Transport Department officials have stated that as of September 30, only 10,517 vehicles have installed the required VLT devices and panic buttons. Legal action will be taken against vehicles that fail to comply with these regulations.
S. Natraj Sharma, President of the Karnataka State Private Transport Organizations Federation, while welcoming the mandatory installation, raised concerns about pricing disparities. He pointed out that while other states have fixed rates between ₹6,000 and ₹7,000 for the installation, Karnataka has set prices between ₹11,000 and ₹12,000. He also questioned the necessity of making these installations mandatory for goods transport vehicles.
The initiative is part of broader safety measures being implemented across the state’s transport sector.