Now, location tracking devices mandatory for all public transport vehicles

kolkata: The State government has made it mandatory for all vehicle owners to install vehicle location tracking devices in buses, minibuses and taxis to track their location.

Senior officials of the state government said that they had received complaints from passengers that drivers of various buses, minibuses and taxis fail to listen to the grievances of the passengers and tend to engage in brawl with them.

If the location tracking is installed, then the state government can watch the vehicle and take necessary action.Officials of the state government said every vehicle of categories N2 and N3, manufactured on and after the 1st day of September, 2022, in the case of new models, and 1st day of January, 2023, in the case of existing models, carrying dangerous or hazardous goods, shall be fitted with a vehicle tracking system device as per Automotive Industry Standard 140.

Earlier, the Ministry of Transportation issued a notification stating that it had been brought to their attention that vehicles transporting gases such as argon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. and goods of a dangerous or hazardous nature that do not fall under the purview of a national permit are not equipped with vehicle location tracking devices.

Officials of the state government said that any commercial motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes and less than 12 tonnes falls into the N2 category.

Goods-carrying vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 12 tonnes fall into the N3 vehicle category.