Highlighting the pathetic state of public transport in the National Capital, only less than one fourth of the total number of auto-rickshaws are fitted with the Global Positioning System (GPS) devices. Of the approximately 70,000 autos in Delhi at present, only 17,000 have the GPS devices fitted. The autos remain to be an unsafe means of transport as proven by the recent gang-rape that occurred in an auto in Ghaziabad.
Even though the transport department is issuing fresh permits to the autos fitted with the GPS devices, the process of fitting GPS is yet to be initiated for the older TSR vehicles. Delhi has 53,000 such TSRs which are yet to be brought under any kind of monitoring through GPS. Not just this, the auto unions allege that the Government may have made GPS mandatory for the new autos, but it has failed to set up a control room to track the movement of these TSRs.
In the gross negligence, the GPS scheme which was announced by the Government some three years back to ensure passengers' safety is caught in the quagmire. “Without a control room, which has the provisions for tracking the movement of a particular vehicle, the GPS is nothing but a waste. Despite this, the Government is just forcing us to pay huge amount for the installation of GPS devices in the new vehicles. There have been no efforts to lower the rates by bringing in new companies who can manufacture these devices,” Rajendra Soni, president of the Delhi Pradesh Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, alleged.
He added that there was a huge difference in the annual payment for the GPS devices for the new and old vehicles as put forth by the Government. “While the annual charges for the GPS in a new vehicle are Rs 18,800, it is Rs 2,000 for the existing ones. These charges should be standardised, if the authorities are willing to get all the autos fitted with GPS. Why this discrepancyIJ” he questioned. For the benefit of the public, a control room should be set up and the GPS rates should be rationalised, he added.