Relief to transporters on VLTD, panic button fixing
Statesman | 25 May 2023
Operators of passenger transport vehicles can heave a sigh of relief. The state transport department has decided to stick to the date of renewal of fitness certificates of vehicles for installation of vehicle location tracking devices (VLTD) and panic buttons in these vehicles.
The department had made it mandatory to instal the VLTD and panic buttons in passenger carrying vehicles. Following growing demands from various operatorsâ bodies, the department had extended the deadline to 31 May.
However, with a few days remaining for the deadline for installation of VLTD and a large number of operators yet to avail the device, the state transport department was considering allowing CF to CF option. According to sources, under the system, an operator would be allowed to instal the VLTD and panic button till the validity of the CF.
However, for renewal of the CF, a vehicle has to be fitted with the two devices for availing a renewed one. The CF to CF VLTD installation facility, however, would not be given to passenger transport vehicles that were allowed a CF by submitting a declaration of availing the device by 31 May.
According to a notification issued by the state transport department dated 17 May, vehicles that have been issued with the CF and would continue to operate without installing the two devices till 31 May would have to pay fines with an additional fee of Rs 50 per day from the expiry of conditional CF that is from 1 June.