When Delhi’s air has reached ‘very poor’ level, the finger is usually pointed at cars and big vehicles. But recent figures completely overturn this thinking. Two-wheelers are ignoring pollution control rules the most in the capital. The surprising thing is that the biggest culprits of PUC (Pollution Under Control) rules in Delhi are not cars, but bikes and scooters.
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Delhi Pollution – Photo : Adobe Stock
Bikes top PUC challans
According to media reports, if a leaderboard of vehicles violating PUC is made, the 2016 model Hero Passion Pro bike will be at the top. A total of 47 PUC challans are pending on this bike and its pollution certificate has expired years ago. Right behind it is another Passion Pro of 2018 model, which has 38 challans registered on it. The same figure is also for Hero Splendor of 2022. This makes it clear that these are not minor mistakes, but cases of repeated rule breaking.
Fourth in the list is the 2018 TVS Jupiter scooter, on which 37 challans are registered. At the fifth position is the 2021 Yamaha Ray ZR Street Rally, whose owner never got the PUC certificate done. That is, neither the certificate was lost nor a mistake was made, but the rules were completely ignored.
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Delhi Pollution – Photo: Amar Ujala
what does the law say
Under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is mandatory for any vehicle plying on a public road to have a valid PUC certificate. New vehicles have to get PUC certificate made one year after registration. Whereas for older vehicles, renewal is required every six months. This period may be even shorter for more polluting vehicles.
The punishment for its violation is also not light. Following amendments to the law in 2019, driving without a valid PUC can result in a fine of up to Rs 10,000, up to three months in jail and suspension of the driving license for three months. If caught again, the fine can reach Rs 20,000. In Delhi, this action is done through e-challan. But statistics show that its fear is still not affecting many people.
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Delhi Pollution – Photo: Amar Ujala
What was seen after GRAP was implemented?
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into effect from 14 October. By the end of November, more than 1.05 lakh PUC challans were issued in Delhi, i.e. an average of more than 2,300 daily. Of these, about 82,774 challans were only on bikes and scooters. In simple words, four out of every five PUC violations are committed by two-wheelers.
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Delhi Pollution – Photo: Amar Ujala
Breaking the rules is not a mistake, it has become a habit.
According to Additional Commissioner of Traffic Police Satya Veer Katara, breaking the rules so many times is not the result of any mistake. He said that it is the responsibility of vehicle owners to have a valid PUC. In cases where more than 10 challans are pending, open disregard for the law is clearly visible. Such cases are also sent to court.
This picture clearly indicates that the role of two-wheelers in Delhi’s pollution crisis cannot be taken lightly. Unless following the rules becomes a habit, challans and warnings will also continue to evaporate.
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