Installation of tracking system in vehicles begins

Arteev Sharma

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Tribune News Service

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 25

The state government has set in motion the process to install the Global Positioning System (GPS)-based vehicle tracking system in nearly 84,000 commercial and passenger vehicles.

The move is aimed at providing safe and secure transportation to people and

keeping a check on traffic violations, such as overloading, rash driving and over-speeding. The move has been made in accordance with the directions of the Central Government to ensure safe and secure travel of people, particularly women, in commercial and passenger vehicles across the state. The Centre had recommended installation of the GPS-based tracking system in all vehicles after a girl was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi in 2012.

“We have started the exercise to implement the scheme for installation of the GPS-based vehicle tracking system in all types of commercial and passenger vehicles moving across the state. We have invited bids from eligible vendors,” a senior official of Transport Department said. In January last year, the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved a Rs 1,405-crore project to track and monitor public transport and provide alarm buttons to alert the authorities. The GPS is a US-owned utility that allows the position of a vehicle, fitted with a special chip, to be indicated on a map. A constellation of satellites is used to provide the service.

“The Map Data Service will be used for tracking vehicles. The qualified bidder would be asked to keep regular updates of the service for a minimum period of five years from the date of start in the state,” the official said.

The consortium implementing the project would establish, procure devices, maintain and operate the infrastructure at his own risk and responsibility, he claimed.