State to empanel more vehicle location tracking device makers, n0. may rise to 21

Srishti Lakhotia, MP, 9 May 2023, Kolkata : More five Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) manufacturers will soon be empanelled by the state Transport department, increasing the empanelled manufacturers to 21. 

Earlier, 16 VLTD manufacturers were empanelled by the state for providing and retrofitment of the device and panic buttons. One important benefit of empanelling these many companies, according to a senior official, is that the cost of VLTD has dropped from Rs 13,500 to Rs 5000-6000, making it much more affordable for the commercial vehicle owners. At least 12,800 commercial vehicles across the state have till now installed VLTD as well as panic buttons. 

“According to the official notification, 2.80 lakh vehicles in the state need to install VLTD,” the official stated. The department had earlier issued a deadline for the instalment of the device till May 31. 

Prior to that, the deadline has been extended twice on the demands of the commercial vehicle owners. But this time, the department officials have suggested that the deadline should not be extended. 

The officials have suggested that those vehicles which have a pending Certificate of Fitness (CF) test, should not be given the certificate unless they install the device and panic buttons. According to many commercial vehicle operators, the instalment process is currently slow and they have urged the department to modify their deadline and instead allow the commercial vehicle owners to install VLTD as per the Certificate of Fitness (CF) dates scheduled after June 1. 

The Pool Car Owners’ Welfare Association secretary Sudip Dutta said that VLTD and panic buttons have been fitted in five to ten per cent pool cars till now. There are a total 3,500 pool cars running in Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas and a part of Hooghly. “The installation is slow but we will increase the speed after May 12, when most of the private schools will declare summer vacation. 

However, we are not confident if we will be able to install VLTD and panic buttons in all 3,500 pool cars within May 31,” Dutta said. Similar concerns have been raised by the General Secretary of Online Cab Operators Guild Indranil Banerjee, who said that at least 1500 cabs have been retrofitted with VLTD and panic buttons. 

There are 12,000 cabs being run across the state, as per Banerjee. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/state-to-empanel-more-vehicle-location-tracking-device-makers-n0-may-rise-to-21-517919