India will soon have a common pollution under control (PUC) format across the country linking PUC database with the national register for vehicles. Also, the Ministry is introducing a concept of rejection slip for the first time.
A common format of rejection slip will be given to the owner of the vehicle that does not meet emission norms, stated an official release. This document can be shown at the service centre for getting the vehicle serviced. Or it can be used to test the vehicle at another centre.
The new norms of the Ministry also enable an enforcement officer to direct the driver or any person in-charge of the vehicle to submit the vehicle for conducting the test in any one of the authorised Pollution Under Control testing stations.
Terming this step a watershed moment, SP Singh of Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training, a transport think tank, said that the vehicle owner can be penalised for not complying and the vehicle registration suspended.
Three months time
The Ministry’s notification says that the norms will be applicable in three months.
Thus, enforcement would be IT enabled and would help in better control over polluting vehicles, it added.
MoRTH has issued a notification for a common format of the pollution under control certificate on June 14, under Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 and linking the PUC database with the National Register.