Driving in Delhi without PUC certificate? You may face these consequences

Vehicle owners in Delhi who do not have a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) for their vehicles may be penalized with suspension of the vehicle's registration certificate, as per the Delhi Transport department. The department is issuing notices to vehicle owners sans a valid PUCC, warning them that if they do not get the PUCC within a week, their registration certificates will be suspended.

Around 19 lakh vehicles in the national capital do not have a valid PUCC but there is no technology to know whether such vehicles are plying on the roads. The Delhi Transport department has formed enforcement teams to carry out checks while SMSs are also being sent to vehicle owners warning them the penalty for not having a PUCC, a top transport department official told PTI.

The initiative comes as Delhi prepares for the winter action plan ahead of the onset of winters. Vehicular pollution is one of the main reasons for the rising pollution levels in Delhi, specially during winter months, and thus the national capital is taking various steps to curb pollution.

Recently, Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai had announced that vehicle owners will not be provided fuel at petrol pumps in the city without showing valid PUCC from October 25. Enforcement teams will be deployed at petrol pumps to ensure that people adhere to the directive.

Vehicles are periodically tested for their emission standards for various pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) after which they are given PUC certificates. Delhi has over 900 pollution checking centres authorised by the Transport department, which have been set up at petrol pumps and workshops spread all over the city.

The money charged for pollution checking in case of petrol and CNG-driven two and three-wheelers is ₹60. For four-wheelers (petrol), it is ₹80 and for diesel-run four-wheelers, it is ₹100.