Bhubaneswar: The State Transport Authority (STA) today made it mandatory that all transport vehicles registered on or after October 1, 2023 shall have to be fitted with AIS 140 VLTO devices and panic buttons at the time of registration, a notification of STA issued in this regard mentioned.

Similarly, old transport vehicles registered on or before September 30, 2023 shall have to be fitted with AIS 140 VLTO devices and panic buttons by December 31, 2023, the official notification emphasised.

The specified transport vehicles include all public service vehicles (except two-wheelers, rickshaws and three-wheelers), goods carriage vehicles operating on National Permit, vehicles carrying hazardous and explosive materials, and ambulance vehicles as well, the STA notification clarified.

“In pursuance of directions issued by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the fitment of Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) Device and Panic Buttons for the vehicles as specified under Rule 125H, Sub-Rule 5 of Rule 90 and Sub-Rule 1 of Rule 129 of CMVR, 1989 has been made mandatory vide Commerce & Transport (Transport) Department notification No-TRN-LC MISC-0001-201/81541T, dated 17.07.2023. The objective of this project is to track and monitor the vehicles plying on the roads and to ensure the passenger safety, especially the women and child passengers,” the STA notification read.

As notified earlier by the Government vide Commerce & Transport Department notification No-8154, dated July 17, 2023, if the VLTO devices are not fitted in the above-specified vehicles then new vehicles shall not be registered on or after October 1, 2023.

Likewise, for old transport vehicles registered on or before September 30, 2023, the vehicles owners shall not be able to make any transaction in Vahan like fitness certificate (FC), transfer of ownership (TO), permit, national permit authorisation, etc with effect from January 1, 2024.

Click here to read the detailed notification

Notably, in order to avoid last moment rush, the vehicle owners are required to fit the VLT device and panic buttons in their vehicle(s) much before the stipulated date.