NEARLY 95,000 passenger vehicles in Maharashtra are now fitted with mandatory tracking devices that allow real-time monitoring and onboard SOS alert facilities to boost commuter safety, especially for women, officials said on Sunday. These GPS-enabled Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD) also allow authorities to pinpoint a vehicle’s location instantly from the newly-set-up control room at the Andheri RTO in Mumbai, a senior Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department (MMVD) official said.

 

“A total of 94,974 vehicles in Maharashtra have been equipped with GPS-enabled VLTD. It holds particular significance for ensuring the safety of women and children. If any onboard passenger presses the red-coloured panic button inside these vehicles, it generates an immediate alert on the control room panel with details of the vehicle and its real-time location,” he explained. The control room is manned 24x7 by assistant motor vehicle inspectors along with the staff of service providers, who follow the laid down standard operating procedure following the receipt of an SOS alert, the official added.