SC: Tracking devices, alarm buttons must in public vehicles

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Wednesday made it mandatory for all public service vehicles (buses, taxis and tourist coaches) to install Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) and alarm buttons, report Amit Anand Choudhary & Dipak Dash.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan directed states and UTs to ensure the vehicles are not granted a fitness certificate under Section 56 or a permit under Section 66 of Motor Vehicles Act unless the installation of these devices is verified and reflected in the Vahan application.

Rule 125H of Central Motor Vehicles Rules mandates installation of VLTDs and emergency buttons in public vehicles for live-tracking and timely emergency responses. The court passed the order on mandatory compliance after being told that only 1% of vehicles had installed the devices in the seven years since the rule was notified. SC called this very disturbing.

The bench also asked additional solicitor general Vikramjit Banerjee to explore the possibility of installing these devices at the time of manufacture. It asked Centre to hold a meeting with automobile manufacturers in this regard.