On Thursday, the State Transport Authority (STA) in Odisha and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create, manage and use a vehicle location tracking application (VLT). In order to improve the protection of women and children while using public transport, the central government has made vehicle location tracking technology necessary for trucks and public transport vehicles under the Nirbhaya plan for women’s safety.
Details about the new contract
All new commercial vehicles registered on or after January 1, 2023 are required by the Odisha government to install VLT devices with panic buttons. Vehicles registered on or before December 31, 2022 must comply by March 31, 2023.
For this purpose, BSNL will create, distribute, integrate and deploy a vehicle location tracking software to track and monitor the cars under the initiative under the “Vahan Suraksha” model. In addition, the organization would also commission a geographic information system (GIS) map for use in vehicle position monitoring systems and develop mobile applications for various stakeholders and consumers.
State Transport Commissioner Arun Bothra said the aim of the project is to implement a tracking system to implement central notifications for continuous monitoring of public transport vehicles for passenger safety, improved road safety and better support for enforcement services. According to him, this will help to keep track of the public buses that run according to the permit.
A command and control center is being set up in Bhubaneswar to monitor the vehicles driving through the state. The GSM/GPRS channel and GPS-based vehicle monitoring will both be used by the 24-hour integrated command center to send emergency alerts.
The command center will serve as a stakeholder interface, and the common emergency toll lines, motor vehicle wing, police control room and related enforcement units will all be connected to a real-time data-sharing network, said Dhananjaya Senapati, additional commissioner for transportation (technical ). Manufacturers can install VLT devices and panic buttons with Indian government approval, he said. In a few days, the state will release the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for appointing these suppliers.
For the safety of women and children, all passenger transport vehicles, except auto rickshaws and e-rickshaws, including government and private buses, school and university buses and taxis/taxis, will be equipped with a panic button of the VLT. The VLT devices must be installed on all trucks operated under the authority of a national license and on all trucks carrying explosives and dangerous goods.
