Bengaluru: The state Road Transport Offices (RTOs) will not register or issue fitness certificates to commercial vehicles if they do not have certified GPS systems or emergency ‘panic’ buttons installed in them, effective from Tuesday, January 1.
The Karnataka State Transport Department has issued a release on Monday, December 31, stating that it would be ensuring that the mandate by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is put into practice.
The release stated, “AIS-140-certified vehicle tracking system along with emergency button is mandatory from January 1, 2019, for all public/passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles with the national permit.” It also added that once the details were integrated, the state had the ability to monitor vehicles and track if there were any issues with overspeeding.
Vehicles which are fitted with ‘AIS140-certified vehicle tracking’ and an emergency button will provide a safe environment for passengers and will ensure that the road safety measures are followed. A national vehicle tracking portal, which will keep a record of all the vehicles and will allow officers to track them in case a passenger pushes the panic button, has been developed by the BSNL.
Several cases of passengers being harassed by cab drivers have been registered. This initiative aims to make these spaces safer for all and to have safety checks in place to prevent such incidents from occurring.
