On Wednesday, in a significant push for passenger safety across India, the Supreme Court directed all States and Union Territories to strictly enforce rules mandating the installation of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) and panic buttons in taxis and all public service vehicles. The Court also made it clear that no transport vehicle can receive a fitness certificate or permit unless these safety mechanisms are installed, a move expected to directly impact public transport operators, manufacturers, and state transport authorities nationwide.
The case arose in a long-running road safety case concerning implementation gaps in transport safety regulations across the country. The Division Bench of Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice K V Viswanathan was informed that compliance with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules remained alarmingly low despite existing legal requirements. The controversy centred on inadequate enforcement by States and the continued operation of public transport vehicles without mandatory tracking and emergency-response systems.
The Court also examined related concerns involving speed governors in vehicles, delays in constituting the National Road Safety Board, and the handling of old motor accident cases in Uttar Pradesh. The proceedings stemmed from a petition filed by a Coimbatore-based orthopaedic surgeon seeking systemic reforms to reduce road accident fatalities and improve post-accident response infrastructure.
The Bench described it as ‘disturbing’ that less than one per cent of transport vehicles across the country currently have vehicle tracking systems installed. Stressing that such technology is crucial for the safety of women, children, and elderly passengers, the Court directed all States and UTs to ensure time-bound installation of VLTDs and panic buttons in both existing and newly registered public service vehicles.
The Court further ordered integration of these systems with the Vahan database for real-time monitoring and stated that existing vehicles registered before December 21, 2018, must also be retrofitted. The Bench observed, ‘All manufacturers are bound to fit SLDs,’ while seeking a report from the Central government on the possibility of manufacturers supplying vehicles with pre-installed tracking and emergency systems.
Consequently, the Court issued a series of mandatory compliance directions to States, transport authorities, and vehicle manufacturers.
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