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The Supreme Court connected Wednesday (May 13, 2026) directed each States and Union Territories to urgently instrumentality the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles (CMV) Rules, 1989 mandating the installation of velocity governors, conveyance determination tracking devices and exigency panic buttons successful rider transport vehicles.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan observed that these information requirements were being wide flouted crossed the country.
“We nonstop each States and Union Territories to strictly enforce the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 by ensuring the installation of conveyance determination tracking devices and panic buttons successful a time-bound and verifiable mode successful some caller and existing nationalist work vehicles,” the Bench said.
The directions were issued successful a nationalist involvement litigation filed by Coimbatore-based surgeon S. Rajasekaran, who drew attraction to India’s alarming complaint of roadworthy fatalities and the “utter callous and casual attitude” of State authorities towards roadworthy information measures.
A lawsuit for nationalist transport
On Wednesday (May 13, 2026), the Bench besides expressed interest implicit the deficiency of lane-driving subject successful India, observing that it was a large contributing origin successful roadworthy accidents. The tribunal called upon the Union authorities to instrumentality corrective measures successful this regard.
“There is nary conception of lane driving successful this country. Most accidents hap due to the fact that of that... Most drivers whitethorn beryllium illiterate, but lane driving is thing the authorities indispensable absorption on,” Justice Pardiwala remarked.
Senior advocator Gaurav Agarwal, assisting the tribunal arsenic amicus curiae, submitted that according to information placed earlier Parliament successful 2024, speed-limiting devices had been installed successful little than 5% of transport vehicles, portion conveyance determination tracking devices were contiguous successful less than 1% of specified vehicles.
Describing the figures arsenic “disturbing”, the Bench directed that fittingness certificates oregon permits should not beryllium issued to nationalist work vehicles recovered successful usurpation of these requirements.
Referring to Rule 118 of the CMV Rules, which mandates speed-limiting devices successful transport vehicles, the Bench ordered States and Union Territories to record caller presumption reports indicating compliance with the requirement.
The tribunal besides directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to clasp consultations with conveyance manufacturers to guarantee each caller vehicles were fitted with speed-limiting devices, conveyance determination tracking devices, and panic buttons astatine the manufacturing signifier itself, portion States were ordered to retrofit existing vehicles with these devices.
It further directed States and Union Territories to integrate compliance information with the centralised VAHAN portal for real-time monitoring.
During the hearing, Mr. Agarwal pointed retired that the Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Location Tracking Device and Emergency Button) Order was issued by the Road Transport Ministry successful 2018 to facilitate timely exigency effect successful distress situations.
Vehicle determination tracking devices usage the Global Positioning System (GPS) to continuously transmit a vehicle’s determination to a power centre operated by the authorities oregon an authorised agency, Mr. Agarwal said. In the lawsuit of emergencies, including abduction, hijacking oregon aesculapian distress, the panic fastener enables passengers to nonstop instant alerts to constabulary power rooms oregon women’s information bid centres, allowing authorities to promptly dispatch assistance to the vehicle’s location.
Earlier, the apical tribunal had successful these proceedings issued a big of directions aimed astatine strengthening roadworthy information measures, including cashless attraction for mishap victims, compensation for hit-and-run victims, and the usage of physics enforcement tools, including velocity cameras, CCTV surveillance, velocity guns, and automatic fig sheet designation systems.
While reviewing compliance with its earlier directions, the Bench expressed displeasure implicit the Union government’s nonaccomplishment to represent the National Road Safety Board arsenic mandated nether Section 215B of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
“We assistance 1 past accidental to represent the Board wrong a play of 3 months from today,” the Bench said.
The Bench directed the Union authorities to record an updated presumption study indicating compliance with its directions, and posted the substance for proceeding successful September.
