Massive Rs 10,000 fine at petrol pumps if vehicle owners found without this document: Details

Vehicular pollution has been on a rise in India and the authorities are trying to implement stricter norms to curb it, besides also promoting green fuels such as CNG, LNG, biofuel, ethanol-blend and more along with the adoption of electric vehicles. Now, reports suggest that in Pune, an automated system is under development which identifies and fines vehicles without a valid PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate.The hefty fine for non-compliance? Rs 10,000.
PUC certificates play a vital role in ensuring vehicles adhere to emission standards, thereby promoting cleaner air. These certificates assess a vehicle’s exhaust to measure pollutants such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.
How will the system work?
Petrol pumps in Pune will undergo a technological upgrade with the introduction of sophisticated automated cameras. These cameras will be capable of scanning vehicle registration numbers, seamlessly cross-referencing them with a central database to verify the PUC status of each vehicle.

Should a vehicle’s PUC certificate be found to be expired, drivers will receive instant fines directly on their registered mobile phones. However, to provide a buffer for compliance, there may be a brief grace period, typically lasting a day or so, allowing drivers to renew their PUC before fines become final. It should be noted that an official confirmation from authorities is awaited and it is yet not known when we will be able to see the implementation of this system.
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