Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in Maharashtra will be ensuring that manufacturers of the vehicle tracking system (VTS) maintain a database matching the unique identification numbers of the VTS to the registration numbers of new vehicles that are used for passenger services in the State.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had made it compulsory for all such vehicles to be fitted with ‘panic buttons’ and have a VTS from January 1.
“The manufacturers will need to maintain a database of all new public transport vehicles that come fitted with panic buttons and the tracking system. This will be an interim measure until such time that our registry has a provision for recording the unique identification number of the tracking system,” Shekhar Channe, State Transport Commissioner, said.
The mechanism
VTS uses the global positioning system to provide real-time location of vehicles, while panic buttons will allow passenger to send out a distress signal to authorities in cases of emergency.
An RTO official said preparing the registry is crucial as it will help match the vehicle registration number and unique identification number of the vehicle. “The distress signal will be linked to the unique identification number. However, we need a registry to match that number to its vehicle registration number to quickly trace the details of vehicles,” an RTO officer said.
According to transport department officials, VTS will allow authorities to monitor traffic and could potentially provide real-time information about the arrival vehicles.
