Starting Tuesday, all Road Transport Offices (RTOs) in the state will not register or issue fitness certificates for passenger and commercial vehicles if they do not have certified GPS systems or emergency ‘panic’ buttons. The Karnataka State Transport Department issued a release on Monday, which stated that it would be ensuring that the mandate by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is put into practice.

“AIS-140-certified vehicle tracking system along with emergency button is mandatory from January 1, 2019, for all public/passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles with the national permit,” stated the release. It further added that once the details were integrated, the state had the ability to monitor vehicles and track if there were any issues with overspeeding.

“Once the details are integrated, the State can monitor vehicle movement, location, gets over speeding alerts and emergency notification when passengers press panic button (emergency button),” added the release.

As per the department, vehicles which are fitted with ‘AIS140-certified vehicle tracking’ and an emergency button will provide a safe environment for passengers and will ensure that road safety measures are followed. A national vehicle tracking portal has been developed by the BSNL which will allow RTOs to check and ensure that all vehicles meet these standards. The portal will keep a record of all vehicles and will allow officers to track vehicles in case a passenger pushes the panic button.

There have been several cases where passengers have been harassed by cab drivers. This initiative aims to make these spaces safer for all and to have safety checks in place to prevent such incidents from occurring. Earlier in July, a female passenger was nearly kidnapped by her cab driver in Bengaluru. The Ola cab driver was later arrested after the attempt was thwarted by quick-thinking motorists on the road.