SHILLONG, Aug 6: The Meghalaya government has made it mandatory for all commercial vehicles in the state to install a vehicle location tracking device (VLTD), but the Transport Department has given the operators of such vehicles some more time to comply.
Commissioner and Secretary of the Transport Department, Sanjay Goyal, said that the Supreme Court has mandated the installation of the tracking device in each and every commercial vehicle.
Admitting that there are apprehensions among the commercial operators regarding the tracking device, he hoped the department would convince them to install the device as it is mandated.
“We have given enough time, and we have had a series of meetings with the commercial operators. They understood the purpose of the initiative,” he said.
The Meghalaya government has notified the empanelled vendors tasked with the job of installing the tracking devices.
Unlike in Meghalaya, most of the commercial vehicles in many states have installed the device.
The state government issued a notification in February this year, stating that the vehicles should be fitted with the VLTD along with one or more emergency buttons in compliance with the standard of AlS-140. In addition, the Transport Department also issued a 60-day deadline to owners of goods vehicles to reverse unauthorised body modifications or face strict legal action under motor vehicle laws, officials said on Wednesday.
In a notice, the department said it observed several instances of light, medium, and heavy goods vehicles operating with illegal alterations, including extended length, width, and height, carried out without approval from the registering authority and beyond manufacturer-approved dimensions.
“These modifications are a blatant breach of Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Rule 93 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989,” the department stated.
It warned that such changes not only compromise the structural integrity of vehicles but also pose serious risks to road safety.
A senior motor vehicle inspector (MVI) said many modified vehicles have poor stability, flawed load distribution, and weakened frames.
“We’ve seen trucks with grossly extended platforms that throw the vehicle’s balance off and increase chances of overturning, especially on hilly roads,” the MVI told PTI on condition of anonymity.
“This is not just a regulatory issue, it’s a threat to life,” he added. (With PTI inputs)
