Delhi hikes PUC certificate fees after 13 years | Fusion - WeRIndia

The Aam Aadmi Party government has increased the fees for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates in Delhi for the first time in 13 years.

The revised fees are now ₹80 for two and three-wheelers running on petrol, CNG, or LPG, and ₹110 for four-wheelers and other larger vehicles using the same fuels. However, diesel vehicles will have a PUC check fee of ₹140.

Under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (1989), every vehicle must have a valid PUC certificate within one year from registration. According to the data of the transport department, more than 85 per cent of vehicles operating without PUC certificates in the city are two-wheelers.

Delhi has over 97 lakh registered vehicles, including 27.8 lakh cars and 69.8 lakh two-wheelers. Alarmingly, around 22 lakh vehicles lack the mandatory PUC certificates.

A recent study published in a journal highlighted the severe air pollution crisis in ten major Indian cities, including Delhi.

The study analyzed data from many Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata etc.

It revealed that PM2.5 concentrations in these cities exceed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limits for exposure.

The study showed that approximately 7.2% of total deaths in India can be linked to daily exposure to PM2.5.

Delhi experiences the highest proportion of daily and annual deaths related to PM2.5 air pollution. This is because the city consists of particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less. These particles primarily originate from vehicle and industrial emissions.

The Delhi government’s decision to raise PUC certificate fees aligns with its commitment to tackling air pollution. Ensuring vehicles comply with pollution standards is crucial for improving air quality and public health in the city.

This move, coupled with strict enforcement of PUC regulations, aims to reduce the number of vehicles operating without valid pollution certificates and mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution.

Image Credit: Emmanuelkwizera CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_smoke_emissions_from_a_vehicle%E2%80%99s_exhaust_are_a_key_contributing_factor_to_air_pollution_and_climate_change_in_Kamonyi_District_road,_Rwanda._Emmanuel_Kwizera.jpg