Pimpri Chinchwad Bus Operators Warn Of Vehicle Surrender Over Rigid VLT-SLTD Norms
Pimpri Chinchwad Bus Operators Warn Of Vehicle Surrender Over Rigid VLT-SLTD Norms
Pune, July 2, 2025: Passenger transport operators are facing severe difficulties as Transport Department officials are allegedly refusing to issue fitness certificates for vehicles unless they comply with mandatory installation of VLT (Vehicle Location Tracking Device) and SLTD (Speed Limiting Device) systems. The Pimpri Chinchwad Bus Owners Association has condemned the department’s impractical rules and warned of an intense protest if corrective action is not taken immediately.
The association submitted a letter to the Pimpri Chinchwad Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Moshi on Wednesday, demanding urgent intervention. They threatened to deposit all their vehicles at the RTO and halt services citywide if their grievances are not addressed.
Leading the delegation were Association President Dattatray Bhegade, Working President Deepak Kalapure, Vice President Bhalchandra Borate, Treasurer Dasharath Panmand, and members including Devdutt Rawal, Bhausaheb Ghomal, Kaluram Gaikwad, Swami Gujar, Rahul Mule, Arun Kale, and Rajesh Pawar, along with hundreds of bus owners.
Bhalchandra Borate stated that operators invest lakhs of rupees in running passenger transport businesses, risking their livelihoods while providing year-round services. These businesses generate thousands of jobs and contribute crores in revenue to the state treasury annually. However, the transport department continues to burden them with excessive conditions.
Deepak Kalapure pointed out that since January 2019, it has been mandatory for all new and existing light and heavy passenger vehicles to install VLT devices with panic buttons and SLTDs. Without these installations, vehicles are denied business permits and fitness certificates.
Although transporters have already spent thousands of rupees to install these systems through government-appointed vendors, most of those vendors are now non-functional and are not offering necessary system updates. Previously, there were 150 such government-approved vendors; now only 30 remain. These vendors either fail to provide support or force transporters to purchase new devices, leading to financial strain.
Many vehicles remain off the road due to the inability to get updated devices or fitness certificates, causing heavy losses. The association’s letter urged transport officials to resolve this urgently or face a large-scale protest where all passenger vehicles would be surrendered at the transport office.
The list of signatories who submitted the representation includes Amit Vawhal, Kiran Jadhav, Pralhad Bankar, Bhimrao Mali, Prakash Borate, Yogesh Jadhav, Santosh Gaikwad, Ramdas Vawhal, Nitin Chavan, Sandeep Patil, Irfan Pathan, Santosh Khadtale, Aniket Jadhav, Vijay Patil, Santosh Vawhal, Abhiman Waghmode, Bunty Bhalekar, Pandurang Waghmode, Mahadu Vairagar, Balasaheb Midgule, Sagar Kakade, Santosh Rakshe, Bunty Bagal, Rohidas Mhase, Santosh Buttepatil, Balaji Suravase, Sushant Nimbalkar, Dhanraj Supe, Aniket Bhegade, Dadasaheb Dhage, Mauli Dhanwate, Mayur Raje, Navnath Mhase, Sunil Kolapkar, Vijay Umape, Rohit Borate, Vishwas Butte Patil, Siddheshwar Zhambare, and Santosh Khandagale.
