Since the amended Motor Vehicles Act came into force on September 1, pollution checking centres are witnessing long queues of owners seeking their pollution under check (PUC) certificates.
Manager of the Modern Service Station in Connaught Place Dinesh Kumar said, “Earlier, we would have 30 or 35 cars coming in daily but recently we have almost 100 persons seeking their certificate every day.” He said there is no concern for the pollution but “people care about paying a hefty fine.”
The fine for not having an updated PUC certificate has increased 10 times from ₹1,000 to ₹10,000. The PUC certificate must be updated every 90 days and costs depend on the type of vehicle and fuel it uses.
‘Sense of consciousness’
Sujan Verma, a driver, said he welcomes the move because “they instil a sense of consciousness. Pollution checks are important for the safety of the environment.”
Car owner Anil Kumar said, “Delhi’s air is so bad that cases of lung cancer have risen. I have lost my mother to the same disease earlier this year. This city is dangerous and we need to whatever we can.”
Talking about hefty fines, he added: “This is a good move but there should have been a warning period.”
BCC Auto Pvt. Ltd. owner Alka Sahai said this move had proven profitable for her company. “I am happy with the new ruling because pollution has become really bad in Delhi.”
Another Delhiite said that he doubted how much things would change because “while diesel is cheaper, diesel vehicles are not so buyers are more susceptible to changing car models frequently”. He added that CNG gas and petrol users don’t have much to worry about.
Published - September 08, 2019 12:56 am IST
