From June 1, public transport vehicles in Delhi must have GPS

NEW DELHI: The AAP government has approved mandatory GPS on all public transport vehicles. This will be in effect from June 1, said a senior official. The decision comes months after the transport department, which has been extending the deadline for mandatory GPS, announced that all passenger vehicles will need it in order to get their fitness certificates renewed.

The transport department had, in fact, made it mandatory for all autorickshaws last year to install GPS in order to get their annual fitness certificate. It had later expanded that ambit to cover taxis and gramin sewa. However, autorickshaw and taxi unions had been complaining about the high cost of the devices. Some have demanded subsidies.

The new order puts a deadline in place. A senior government official said, "The decision to make it mandatory for all public vehicles to have GPS was taken keeping in view the security and safety of commuters, especially women." The GPS devices, which will be available from DIMTS, can be procured at cost-effective rates, added the official. DIMTS will monitor all data from the GPS devices.

"After June 1, no commercial or passenger vehicle will be allowed a fitness certificate if it doesn't have a GPS device," the official said.

Earlier, the AAP government had said that GPS would not be made mandatory for all autos. However, since then, it has made GPS mandatory.