Delhi Government Waives Annual Fee for Vehicle Tracking Devices in Public Transport
The Delhi Government has announced that public vehicles carrying passengers in the national capital will no longer have to pay the annual fee for the Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD). This decision was made after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Delhi Transport Department and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for the VLTD project.
Previously, vehicle owners had to pay an annual fee of Rs 1,200 plus 18% GST, totaling Rs 1,416. The exemption will benefit around 1.5 lakh public vehicle owners in Delhi.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “This exemption is a significant step towards easing the financial burden on public vehicle owners while ensuring the safety and security of passengers, especially women and children. By leveraging advanced technology like the VLTD, we are committed to providing safer and more efficient public transportation in Delhi.”
Gahlot also mentioned that there are about 2,44,312 public vehicles, including autorickshaws, taxis, and RTVs, in Delhi. The government has already waived the annual fee for vehicle location tracking devices for one lakh auto and taxi drivers. Now, an additional 1.5 lakh public vehicles have been given this exemption.
Furthermore, the Delhi Government has reduced various fees for drivers of autorickshaws, taxis, and other paratransit vehicles. For example, the fitness test certificate fee was reduced from Rs 2500 to Rs 500, and the registration fee was reduced from Rs 1000 to Rs 300.
The VLTD is an advanced GPS tracking device that ensures accurate, real-time location tracking of vehicles. It is mandatory for all commercial vehicles in India and transmits precise location data to the VAAHAN server. NIC’s cloud infrastructure and monitoring centers will ensure continuous, real-time tracking of all vehicles equipped with VLTDs, improving overall public safety.
Doubts Revealed
waives -: Waives means to remove or not charge a fee or cost. In this case, the Delhi Government is not charging the annual fee for the tracking devices.
Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) -: A Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) is a gadget installed in vehicles to track their location in real-time. It helps in knowing where the vehicle is at any moment.
MoU -: MoU stands for Memorandum of Understanding. It is an agreement between two or more parties, in this case, between the Delhi Transport Department and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
National Informatics Centre (NIC) -: The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is a government organization in India that provides technology support to various government departments.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot -: Kailash Gahlot is a politician who is the Transport Minister in the Delhi Government. He is responsible for transportation-related matters in Delhi.
commercial vehicles -: Commercial vehicles are vehicles used for business purposes, like buses, taxis, and trucks. They are different from personal vehicles used by families.
