Vehicle tracking devices, emergency buttons mandatory for public transport

Vehicle location tracking devices and emergency buttons have been made mandatory for all new public transport vehicles registered on or after January 1, 2019, the government said on Wednesday.

The move has been taken to ensure the safety of passengers, especially women.

"All new public service vehicles except auto rickshaws and e-rickshaws, registered on and after January 1, 2019, will have to be equipped with Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) with emergency buttons," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

It said that fixing of VLT and emergency buttons have been made mandatory via notification.