Bengaluru: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has mandated Global Positioning System (GPS) device  and panic (emergency) buttons in all public service vehicles, registered on or after January 1, 2019. A circular has been sent to all State Transport Department Principal Secretaries and Transport Commissioners in this regard.

The circular has mentioned that all public transport vehicles must compulsorily install these devices. It has also directed that the respective States must set up control rooms to monitor the movement of vehicles.

The Centre has exempted all public service vehicles registered up to December 31, 2018, provided that after the expiry of the time-period of the exemption specified, the concerned State or Union Territory will notify the date for compliance of requirements, said the circular.

After the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had made it compulsory for all public transport vehicles with more than 23 seats to install CCTV cameras.

An order was passed by the Centre in 2016-17 and continuing in 2018, on Apr.1, it had made compulsory to install GPS device and Panic Buttons in all public transport vehicles, excluding autorickshaws.

However, including Karnataka, since most of the States did not have Command and Control Room facilities, the implementation of the Order was postponed to Apr.1, 2019.

In the meantime at a meeting, the Central Government said that the States may take services from GPS manufacturers till the backend systems are set up in the States.

In this background the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued this order.

The installation of GPS device will help in tracking the movement of public transport vehicles and the tax violating vehicles.

By installing the panic button, the safety of the passengers is assured.

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