Only 46 per cent of public service vehicles in Bihar are currently fitted with a Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD), amounting to 1,24,962 vehicles. Many of these are operating on the roads without recharged VLTDs, preventing authorities from monitoring their routes and speeds.
Transport Minister Shravan Kumar has directed that all such vehicles be identified and strict action initiated from January 1, 2026. He chaired a high-level review at Visvesvaraya Bhavan with departmental officials and relevant agencies to assess the status of VLTDs and panic buttons in public vehicles.
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The Minister ordered that all VLTD devices without a recharge must be recharged by December 31, 2025. Vehicles without a VLTD must have one installed immediately. He emphasised that all public service vehicles must have a VLTD and an emergency panic button to enhance safety, especially for women and children. The devices help curb overspeeding and allow passengers to alert authorities instantly in case of emergencies.
Shravan Kumar also instructed all District Transport Officers (DTOs) not to issue fitness certificates for vehicles lacking a VLTD. He expressed strong dissatisfaction with the slow pace of implementation, noting that of the 48,389 national permit vehicles recently mandated to have VLTDs, only 1,036 (around 2 per cent) have complied. Strict action will be taken against negligent officials and agencies.
In the last five months, fines exceeding Rs 27 lakh have been imposed for overspeeding using VLTD monitoring. Currently, 30 VLTD manufacturing companies operate 471 centres in Bihar. The Transport Minister also directed officials to conduct large-scale public awareness campaigns on the benefits of VLTDs and panic buttons through newspapers, social media, and other channels to ensure safer travel across the state.