Delhi: Vehicles without PUC certificate to attract six-month jail, ₹10,000 fine

Between October 1 and October 30, government officials said, traffic officers and transport department officers checked 49,882 vehicles and 5,664 were challaned

People driving vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate may face imprisonment up to six months or fine up to ₹10,000 or both, according to a public notice issued by the Delhi government on Sunday.

According to the Sunday’s notice, the errant drivers will also be disqualified from holding their driving licence for three months. (HT Archive)

This is the second such notice issued by the government regarding PUCs since September 19 in view of the rising air pollution in the capital.

According to the Sunday’s notice, the errant drivers will also be disqualified from holding their driving licence for three months. The notice has also been uploaded on the transport department’s website.

“The rule is currently applicable but prosecution agencies are supposed to scale up strictness in implementation in a phased manner because a large number of people may not know about it. It would only lead to piling up of cases in the traffic courts. After Sunday’s notice, communication has been sent to concerned departments that implementation should now be scaled up,” said a senior official in Delhi government’s transport department.

The notice said, “The Transport department, Government of NCT of Delhi, in its ongoing efforts to control pollution and improve air quality in Delhi, requests all motor vehicle owners in Delhi to ply their vehicles only with valid pollution under control certificate.”

“All registered vehicle owners are requested to get their vehicles checked from the pollution checking centres authorised by the Transport department to avoid any penalty/ imprisonment/ suspension of driving licence,” the notification further said.

Between October 1 and October 30, government officials said, traffic officers and transport department officers checked 49,882 vehicles and 5,664 were challaned.

Vehicles are tested from time to time for their emission standards for various pollutants such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide after which they are given PUC certificates. Delhi has 966 authorised pollution checking centres set up across various petrol pumps and workshops in the city for the convenience of motorists. These centres issue PUC certificates to vehicles complying with prescribed pollution norms after conducting pollution checks.

The fee for pollution checking in case of petrol and CNG driven two- and three-wheelers is ₹60. For four-wheelers, the fee is ₹80. The fee for pollution checking certificate of diesel vehicles is ₹100.

According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, all motor vehicles (including those conforming to BS-I/ BS-II/ BS-III/BS-IV as well as vehicles plying on CNG/LPG) are required to carry a valid PUC Certificate after the expiry of period of one year from the date of its first registration. The validity of four-wheeler BS-IV compliant vehicles is one year and for other vehicles it is three months.