Emergency panic buttons and location tracking devices have been made mandatory for all public and private transport vehicles in Karnataka. The decision was taken by the state cabinet on Thursday, November 4, to "ensure the safety of passengers, especially women and children". The move is also expected to contribute to safety on the highways, as the GPS devices will alert the authorities of any overspeeding vehicles.
Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, state Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said that 6.8 lakh vehicles will come under the ambit of the project, which will be implemented with support of the union government. "Sixty percent of the funding will be provided by the union government, and the state government will bear the remaining costs," Madhuswamy elaborated. Once the project is implemented, the government will centrally monitor the vehicles. This will also enable the government to clamp down on tax evaders and misuse of transport permits, the minister asserted.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, he said, ''On national highways and state highways, vehicles move very fast causing accidents. GPRS devices based on the vehicle location tracking system (VLTS) will be able to track speed and determine whether or not vehicles stop at prescribed locations and follow the scheduled route on time,” according to PTI.
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