A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the State government to effectively implement the rule relating to installation of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD) in all public service vehicles except two-wheeler, e‐rickshaw, three-wheelers, with effect from January 1, 2021.
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The Bench comprising Chief Justice S.Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chali issued the directive while disposing of a batch of public interest petitions seeking a directive to strictly implement Motor Vehicles Rules 151 A making installation of tracking devises mandatory for all public service vehicles.
The strict implementation of the rule was necessary to ensure safe travelling of women and children, especially girls, in public passenger transport vehicles. The petitioners pointed out that by an order dated October 2, 2020, the time limit for installation of VLTD for goods vehicles had been extended up to December 31, 2020.Thus, the government was diluting the implementation of the rule.
The government submitted that installation of the VLTD has been completed in all vehicles owned by the educational institutions. In fact, nodal officers had been appointed for monitoring the implementation of installation of VLTDs and emergency buttons.
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The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation had stated that that the tendering process for purchasing the first phase of VLTDs was in the final stage.
The court said that a duty was cast upon the government to implement the rule without any further delay.