The Meghalaya Transport Department has required that all public service vehicles and those needing or possessing national permits have emergency buttons and Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD), in accordance with Rule 125H of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. With minor adjustments to data protocols and formats to interface with the state government-established Command and Control Center, this directive complies with the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS-140) as set forth by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
In the first phase of implementation, government-owned public transportation vehicles, such as buses run by Urban Affairs, government hospitals, and educational and training institutions; public transportation vehicles owned by PSUs, such as MTC, STEMS, and MUDA; and all new vehicles manufactured from January 1, 2019, falling under the purview of Rule 125H of CMVR, 1989, must have VLTDs installed by empaneled agencies by April 30, 2025, in accordance with approved specifications.
Sanjay Goyal, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Meghalaya Transport Department, said, “This initiative ensures enhanced safety and real-time monitoring of public transport, aligning with national standards while addressing Meghalaya’s specific requirements.”