Tamil Nadu invites EOI for vehicle tracking device manufacturers
According to the notification, the EOI was released on September 4 and manufacturers have been asked to submit applications by October 22.
CHENNAI: The Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety has called for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from manufacturers of Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTD) for installation in public transport vehicles across the State. The initiative, aligned with the Automotive Industry Standard AIS-140, seeks to strengthen passenger safety and ensure real-time monitoring of buses, taxis, school vehicles and goods carriers.
According to the notification, the EOI was released on September 4 and manufacturers have been asked to submit applications by October 22. The bids will be opened the same day at the Transport Commissionerate in Guindy. The process will be governed by the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Act, 1998, and the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tender Rules, 2000.
The AIS-140 standard mandates real-time tracking of vehicles and the provision of emergency buttons to ensure swift responses during accidents or other incidents. The system is aimed at enhancing safety, improving traffic management and ensuring accountability of transport operators.
The EOI specifies that the mandate will apply to buses, school buses, stage carriages, All India Tourist Permit vehicles, private service vehicles, all types of taxis, maxi cabs, and goods carriers including water tankers and petroleum tankers, except vehicles not covered by permit. The Transport Department has retained the option of including other categories of vehicles under the scheme in line with prevailing rules.
Manufacturers intending to participate must hold valid type approval and conformity of production certificates from agencies accredited by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. They must also establish retro-fitment centres in all 38 districts and service and support centres in each of the 12 transport zones. Upon empanelment, fitment centres are required in all 91 Regional Transport Office jurisdictions within 30 days.
The Commissionerate has stipulated that devices must be integrated with the State’s Command and Control Centre to enable live monitoring. Vehicle data will be transmitted to the backend application at regular intervals, while panic buttons will raise alerts to the Emergency Response Support System.
Each manufacturer is required to submit a performance guarantee of ₹25 lakh, in addition to a bank guarantee of ₹5 lakh for every service and support centre. A registration fee of ₹25,000 has been fixed for the first device model, and ₹10,000 for each additional model.
The initiative comes in the backdrop of a Central government mandate making VLTDs with emergency buttons compulsory in public transport vehicles, a measure introduced following the Nirbhaya incident. The State Transport Department has emphasised that the move is part of a wider effort to improve road safety through education, enforcement, engineering and emergency care.