All public service vehicles to install GPS device and panic button by April 2018

The Road Transport Ministry has directed for the mandatory installation of location tracking device and one or more emergency button in all the public transport including buses and taxis by April 1, 2018. The Ministry has extended the deadline as most of the States were unable to meet the target. & quot From 1st April 2018, passenger transport vehicles including taxis and buses are to be mandatorily equipped with GPS devices,& quot the ministry tweeted on Wednesday. A senior official also confirmed that there will be no extension to roll out these passenger safety measures in public transport vehicles. This panic/emergency button shall be installed near the passenger's seat for easy access. As soon as the passenger presses it, both the transport department and police control room will get signal. The GPS device which is also to be installed shall help the authorities to immediately track the vehicle's location. The Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry had on 28 November 2017 notified the amendments made to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, with the objective of making the public service vehicles safe for women. Soon after the Nirbhaya gang rape case, the government came up with various measures to ensure the security of women traveling via public transport. In 2012, a 23-year-old woman was brutally gang-raped in a moving bus in New Delhi, which led to nationwide protests against the government doing nothing to ensure women safety. After which various proposals were made including recruitment of more women police personnel, safe public transport, and installation of CCTV camera at public places. Although initially, the ministry had proposed obligatory setup of CCTV cameras in buses having greater than 23 seats, the proposal was dropped attributable to privateness issues. Vehicles that don't require a permit under the Motor Vehicle Act, such as three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, and two-wheelers have been exempted from installing the mandatory location tracking system and emergency buttons.