‘Costly and unnecessary’: Bengaluru autorickshaw drivers oppose mandatory panic button, tracking device

The government has mandated the devices to ensure the safety of women and children who travel in the vehicles. The order states that all public transport vehicles must get the devices fixed between December 1 and November 31, 2024. RTO authorities have been asked not to renew the fitness certificates of vehicles that fail to comply with the order.

The government also directs vehicle owners to buy the devices from 13 empanelled manufacturers for Rs 7,599 (excluding GST).

However, autorickshaw drivers accuse the transport department of having kept them in the dark about the new rule. They demand exemption from the requirement and argue that details of all autorickshaw drivers are already available with local police in case of emergencies.

Rudramurthy, general secretary of the Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union, said, “The government did not consult any of the stakeholders before issuing the order… First of all autorickshaws do not require the panic button or tracking device because the vehicle is transparent and passengers can call for help easily. Most autorickshaw-aggregator apps have SOS buttons to alert the authorities during emergency situations. What is the need for a separate device?”

He further said, “The government has not clarified where to buy the devices from. They are also expensive and not durable. Now RTOs are asking us to submit an affidavit assuring that we will install the devices soon.”

Raghu Gowda, president of the Peace Auto Association, accused the government of double standards and said the order was “yet another move to harass the drivers”. “While the installation of panic buttons and vehicle tracking devices is part of the Karnataka On-demand Aggregator Rules, the cab aggregators have already contested the rule in the Karnataka High Court and have got interim protection against any action from the government. With the new rule, the privately registered auto drivers have to face the wrath of the transport authorities for not installing these devices, while cab aggregators enjoy protection,” he said.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has installed in 10 of its buses devices that aim to prevent accidents, ensure women’s safety and issue speed-limit warnings. It has installed cameras, panic buttons and mNVRs (mobile network video recorder) in its buses. Also, an SOS button that women can use during emergencies is part of the Namma BMTC app. When pressed, the button sends an automated alert to the control room to initiate a response.