GPS installation mandatory in commercial vehicles

17 Apr 2023 CW Team

All commercial cars operating on the Char Dham yatra route must now have GPS installed, per a requirement by the Uttarakhand transport department. Chandan Ram Das, the minister of transportation, stated on Thursday that May 31 has been set aside as the deadline for installing GPS, after which new trip cards will not be provided to the drivers.

After passing a fitness test, "green cards," which identify cars driving on the Char Dham roads, are awarded. The operators/drivers must also obtain a "travel card" in addition to this card. Each trip requires the use of this card.

The minister shared the information and added, "I met with representatives from the taxi and bus associations as well as other interested parties. They have agreed to the installation of GPS but have also stated that they have suffered significant losses as a result of two shortened yatra seasons in Covid-19. So that they might use the opportunity to make up their profits, we gave them until May 31 - more than a month after the yatra began. It won't be possible to issue new trip cards if GPS is not installed by May 31. Operators have committed to providing additional support in this area."

The department has also stated that it will compensate the surviving family members of those died while riding government buses with 0.7 million.

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