Economy in India is growing really fast and its population keeps rising. With this rise comes a demand for more public transport. These demands are being met with the introduction of more transport mediums like air conditioned buses, non- air conditioned buses, air conditioned taxis, online cabs et cetera. But another demand arises with this – the demand for public safety and road safety. To ensure that public and road transportation becomes safer the ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) published a set of safety standards and equipment that all public and commercial service vehicles in India must comply with. The AIS 140 mandate states that all public and commercial services vehicles must be fitted with a GPS Tracking System, an emergency panic button and a camera surveillance system. The implementation of AIS 140 not only helps to increase public and road safety but also helps to find new and more innovative solution to the many problems that are associated with road transportation. However, every time such policies are introduced, it is met with skepticism and misconceptions.
Here are 5 common misconceptions about AIS 140:
- An AIS 140 device price is steep
The first and the most widespread misconception about AIS 140 certified devices come at a huge expensive. AIS 140 GPS device price are not just inexpensive but the added services that come with installing devices from AIS 140 certified companies are plenty. Features like live tracking help commercial fleet owners to actively track their vehicles from anywhere in the world and also improves communication between the drivers and the fleet owners. The live tracking feature helps the government to manage traffic more effectively and helps them to ensure the safety of people who travel in these public transport. Features like route planning helps commercial companies to save fuel by choosing shorter routes to their destination. The feature also helps to reduce carbon emissions because less fuel is burnt. These features help both commercial companies and public vehicle owner to save a lot of money that they waste because of inefficient fuel consumption. It also greatly boosts the productivity of these vehicles thus contributing even more to the nation’s economy.
- AIS 140 Devices are not user friendly
AIS 140 certified companies usually offer their devices along with a telematics system. The system’s software is capable of providing the users with a lot of data. A common misconception is that AIS 140 notifications pester users with too much data. This however is true only if a user has not selected the preferences properly. All AIS 140 certified systems come with easily customizable and preferential dashboards that offer users the freedom to select which AIS 140 notifications they want to view in their dashboards. If the selection is done according to the user’s needs, the data can help manage commercial fleets much more effectively.
- The AIS 140 is just another expensive fad
Some commercial and public vehicle owners believe that the AIS 140 mandate is just another tech trend and it does not actually provide any benefit. This is due to a lack of knowledge on how and why AIS 140 mandate works. There are plenty of features that an AIS 140 certified system offers but the most important of them are the safety features that they offer. Sure, it might be an additional expense on part of the vehicle owners. But the safety that it provides the them far outweighs the cost price. With the help of AIS 140 devices like the emergency panic button and the camera surveillance system, adequate safety can be provided to every passenger travelling onboard the vehicles. The system can also be used by drivers to call for help in emergency situations. These features are critical for the safety of road transportation today and they are being implemented well by the use of the AIS 140 mandate. Thus it’s not just another fad, it is the need of the hour.
- The AIS 140 has been mandated for all road vehicles
Contrary to popular belief, the AIS 140 standard has been mandated for only public and commercial service vehicles. These include taxis, buses, school buses, trucks and carpools. The mandate does not apply to vehicles that are registered as private. However, equipping private vehicles with AIS 140 certified devices can benefit private car owners immensely.
- All devices are of the same grade
Another common misconception is that all devices are of the same grade and one can buy any telematics system for their vehicles. Firstly, just like any electronic device, not all telematics devices are durable and accurate. Some are more durable and accurate while the others do not provide good services. Only the best telematics systems get AIS certified. And one must always buy telematics devices from AIS 140 certified companies. These companies don’t just produce durable and accurate products but they also provide a very good after sales customer service.
