SC directs states to install panic buttons, tracking device in public transport

THe sublime margaret court on midweek directed all states and unification territories to desperately enforce Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) mandating speed governors, vehicle location tracking devices (VLTDs) and emergency panic buttons in passenger transport vehicles.A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan, hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on road safety reforms, observed that the provisions for speed governors under Rule 118 of the CMVR and VLTDs along with emergency buttons under Rule 125H of the same rules are being widely violated.“Having lane driving will reduce accidents but how to inculcate it. Most drivers may be illiterate but lane driving is something the government must focus on,” the bench said, after it was told that, as per 2024 data released by Parliament, less than 5% of transport vehicles have speed limiting devices (SLDs), while VLTDs are installed in less than 1% of vehicles.Further, it held that fitness certificates or permits shall not be issued to public service vehicles that flout these conditions.On compliance with Rule 118, the bench asked states and UTs to file fresh status reports showing compliance with the installation of SLDs. The court directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to hold talks with manufacturers to ensure SLDs and VLTDs with panic buttons are pre-installed in all new vehicles and asked states to retrofit existing vehicles with these devices.The court asked states and UTs to integrate the compliance data with the centralised VAHAN portal.The court said, “It is disturbing that less than 1% of transport vehicles have VLTDs.” Senior advocate Gaurav Agarwal, assisting the court as amicus curiae, pointed out that the Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Location Tracking Device and Emergency Button) Order was issued by the MoRTH in 2018 to ensure timely emergency response.He said that the VLTD uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to constantly transmit a vehicle’s location to a Central Command and Control Centre (CCC) operated by the government or a licensed agency. This applies only to public service transport vehicles and, in case of an emergency such as abduction, hijacking or medical distress, authorities can instantly pinpoint the exact location of the vehicle.The panic button can also be used to send an instant alert to police control rooms or women’s safety command centres, which can dispatch help immediately to the location of the aggrieved passenger.Agarwal said that the law also carries penalties for non-compliance. Non-compliance with Rule 125H attracts statutory penalties of up to ₹10,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act, penalties of up to ₹100,000 for manufacturers or dealers delivering non-compliant vehicles, and the power to detain and impound vehicles.The court posted the matter for September to consider compliance with its directions and asked the Centre to file an updated response by the next date of hearing.The court has been passing a host of directions in the present proceedings, including cashless treatment for road accident victims, timely treatment during the golden hour after accidents, provisions for compensation to hit-and-run victims, and electronic surveillance tools under the Motor Vehicles Act such as speed cameras, CCTVs, speed guns, speed governors and automatic number plate recognition systems to curb road accidents.As per figures provided by the MoRTH to Parliament in December 2025, there were over 480,583 road crashes resulting in 172,890 deaths in 2023, compared to 461,312 accidents and 168,491 deaths the previous year.Data available on government portals showed significant non-compliance with MV Act provisions. Out of 21.8 million transport vehicles, only 1.07 million were fitted with mandatory speed limiting devices (SLDs), leading to overspeeding — a major cause of road accidents. On the insurance front, the portal revealed that out of 385 million registered motor vehicles, only 175 million have valid insurance.Among the states, information provided by the MoRTH ranked Uttar Pradesh highest in road accident fatalities (23,652), contributing 13.7% of the total fatalities. Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra followed with 18,347 (10.6%) and 15,366 (9%) fatalities, respectively. Among major cities, Delhi reported the highest fatalities at 1,457, followed by Bengaluru (915) and Jaipur (850).