Pune: GPS Units In 100 PMC Vehicles Go Offline Within 3 Months

A Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) installed in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) vehicles to improve transparency and monitor the movement of emergency and civic service vehicles has come under scrutiny after GPS devices in nearly 100 vehicles reportedly stopped functioning within just three months of installation.

The VTS project, implemented through the PMC's Disaster Management Department at a cost of several lakh rupees, was introduced in around 300 key municipal vehicles, including fire brigade vehicles, water tankers, ambulances and other essential service vehicles. The system enables officials to monitor a vehicle's location, route, speed and operational duration from a central control room.

However, sources indicate that GPS tracking units in approximately 100 vehicles have become inactive. While around 35 units have reportedly been repaired and restored, nearly 65 vehicles continue to remain outside the tracking network.

PMC currently operates a fleet of 1,333 vehicles, including garbage collection vehicles, health service vehicles, fire tenders, water supply vehicles and official transport vehicles. The fleet includes 354 small utility vehicles, 158 cars, 98 jeeps, 111 tippers, 99 bell trucks, 62 compactors, 57 dumper placers, 54 BRC vehicles, 43 JCB machines and 52 ambulances.

The tracking system was introduced against the backdrop of past complaints regarding the alleged misuse of government vehicles, unauthorised trips outside city limits and fuel misuse. The technology was expected to ensure real-time monitoring and accountability by recording every movement of municipal vehicles.

The large number of inactive GPS units has now raised concerns about whether the failures are purely technical or the result of deliberate tampering. Since the tracking system can reveal vehicle usage patterns and detect unauthorised movement, questions are being raised about whether some units were intentionally disabled to avoid scrutiny.

According to sources, the service provider responsible for maintaining the system has repeatedly followed up with vehicle operators and attempted to restore inactive devices. During these interactions, drivers have reportedly cited various reasons for the GPS units being non-functional.

While no official statement has yet been issued regarding the cause of the failures, the situation has sparked concerns over the effectiveness of the monitoring system and the PMC's ability to ensure transparency in the use of public assets.