New Delhi: Cars may be the usual suspects every time Delhi’s toxic air is discussed, but when it comes to violations of pollution-under-control certificate (PUCC) rules, two-wheelers lead the pack. Motorcycles and scooters accounted for more than three-fourths of PUCC challans issued in the capital this year, with the city’s top five repeat offenders also featuring two-wheelers.
Between Jan 1 and Oct 20, Delhi Traffic Police issued 4,41,911 challans for PUCC violations. Of these, 3,40,759, or 77.1%, were issued to two-wheelers. Cars accounted for 86,450 challans, or 19.6%. Together, the two categories made up nearly 97% of all violations recorded. From Oct 1, Delhi intensified its ‘no PUCC, no fuel’ policy, barring vehicles without a valid certificate from refuelling at petrol pumps. Light goods vehicles accounted for 5,163, three-wheelers for 4,734, and commercial cars and vans for 2,516. There were also 784 challans for other vehicles, 720 for heavy vehicles, 441 for medium goods vehicles, 308 for buses and 36 for Gramin Sewa vehicles.
Yet, during a TOI visit to pumps after the rule was introduced, some bikers appeared unaware of the requirement.
One rider shrugged off the need to keep track of the certificate, asking, “Sambhaal ke kaun rakhta hai? (who keeps track of these things?)” Another appeared equally unfazed, saying, “What? The numbers put the spotlight on motorcycles and scooters, often seen as more fuel-efficient and convenient for navigating Delhi’s congested roads. But their dominance in the challan figures suggests that keeping a vehicle’s emissions certificate valid remains a challenge for a significant number of owners. The problem persists despite penalties and stepped-up enforcement. PUCC? I’ll get petrol somewhere else. ” The remaining challans were spread across other vehicle categories. The figures come as Delhi enters the winter pollution season, with vehicular emissions among the contributors to the capital’s poor air quality. Under Stage III of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), restrictions also apply to BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles in Delhi and five NCR districts: Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Sonipat. These restrictions are based on emission standards, and a valid PUCC does not exempt a vehicle from an applicable ban.
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Govt needs to enforce the rules more firmly, according to former transport commissioner Anil Chhikara. “Delhi’s cars are relatively less polluting than two-wheelers because most comply with BS-IV and BS-VI emission standards or run on CNG,” he said, alleging govt was “reluctant” to take stricter action for fear of losing electoral support. Download the TOI App.