Public Vehicle Tracking System: The Delhi government has inked an MoU with the National Informatics Centre and National Informatics Centre Services Inc to upgrade the vehicle tracking devices installed on the public transport vehicles plying in the city, the transport department has said. The initiative aims to implement a new backend system and monitoring centre for vehicle location tracking (VLT) and emergency alert system (EAS) for such vehicles, adhering to AIS-140 standards, a transport department order dated September 18 said.

The new system promises improved real-time tracking and enhanced safety for commuters, it said. The system upgrade, funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under the Nirbhaya Framework, mandates all public vehicle owners to transition from the current DIMTS-managed system to the new backend, which will be managed by the NIC.

As part of the transition, the vehicle owners and bus operators must collaborate with vehicle location tracking device vendors to ensure the smooth functioning of the new system, the order said. On August 29, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot announced a waiver of the annual fee for the Vehicle Location Tracking Device for all commercial passenger vehicles.

“Previously, vehicle owners were required to pay an annual fee of Rs 1,200 plus 18 per cent GST, amounting to a total of Rs 1,416. The exemption will benefit approximately 1.5 lakh public vehicle owners across Delhi,” he said.

According to the latest order, the transition to the new monitoring system will be free of charge for vehicle owners. In Delhi, there are about 2.44 lakh public vehicles, including autorickshaws, taxis, and RTVs.

Autorickshaws, more than 85,000 in number, were already exempted from the vehicle tracking fees. 

The new system aims to bolster public safety by allowing real-time tracking and emergency response for public service vehicles across Delhi, the statement said.