New Delhi : Despite GRAP-I curbs invoked and a valid pollution under control certificate (PUCC) made mandatory, some motorists in the city have been keeping the challan printers busy, turning repeat offending into a remarkably persistent habit.
The top violator is a 2019-model BMW, whose compliance record is far from premium. Since 2019, its driver has received 42 challans for driving without a valid PUCC, including 24 this year alone. The vehicle’s PUCC has remained expired since 2024. Cases with more than 10 pending PUCC challans reflect a clear disregard for the law.
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Delhi Traffic Police said repeated violations were treated as habitual rather than accidental. Cases where an immediate challan is not possible are pursued through courts,” a traffic police officer said. Awareness of vehicle-related legal requirements remains uneven, according to transport expert Anil Chhikara. The ‘no PUCC, no fuel’ policy, he said, could force more motorists to obtain certificates. “A physical emissions test is needed to establish whether exhaust emissions breach the standards,” he said, adding that testing and enforcement need to be effective on the ground.
With the capital struggling to breathe, one would imagine that at some point the owner might have driven to an authorised pollution-testing centre instead of risking another penalty. Apparently, that thought has yet to catch on. “Vehicle owners are equally responsible for ensuring valid PUCC. The pollution check certificate confirms that emissions meet applicable limits. Yet, the scale of repeat violations raises questions about whether issuing challans alone is enough to get motorists to comply. He argued that some owners were unfamiliar with PUCC and insurance obligations, and that govt messaging about pollution prevention had not reached everyone on the ground. Chhikara also cautioned against treating the absence of a valid certificate as proof that a vehicle’s emissions exceed prescribed limits. Download the TOI App.
Section 190(2) of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 mandates that every vehicle must meet prescribed emission standards and carry a valid PUCC issued by an authorised testing centre under Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The BMW that piled up 42 PUCC breaches is not alone in this dubious race. A 2023-model Suzuki motorcycle has accumulated 33 PUCC challans, 29 of them this year. An Activa has clocked 32 challans, including 26 in 2026, yet its PUCC remains expired. A 2012-model Ace has been challaned 28 times while a 2025-model TVS Raider has 24 challans, all recorded this year.
The law, meanwhile, is crystal clear. New vehicles are required to get a PUCC one year after registration. Older vehicles must renew it every six months — or even every three months in the case of high-polluting vehicles, depending on fuel type and local rules. The next four spots on Delhi’s repeat-offender list belong to two-wheelers, showing that the problem is not restricted to luxury cars or their owners. It finally has a valid certificate, but only after repeated reminders from the enforcement system. Both still have expired certificates. for some, it seems to take a remarkable number of nudges While compliance eventually arrives.