Over one lakh vehicle owners applied for pollution under control (PUC) certificates in the last three days, Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Saturday, adding that 47,600 applications were received on Friday alone.
The surge followed a December 17 order by the Delhi government denying fuel at city fuel stations to vehicles without a valid PUC certificate, amid rising air pollution levels. Addressing a press conference, Mr. Singh said Delhi Police and Transport Enforcement teams conducted extensive checks under GRAP-IV restrictions, issuing 446 challans and stopping around 1,492 vehicles from entering the city. Under these restrictions, non-Delhi-registered vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards are barred from entering the national capital.
“Dedicated teams comprising Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) staff, Delhi Traffic Police and enforcement personnel carried out camera-based monitoring and extensive on-ground checks to ensure strict compliance with pollution norms and possession of valid PUC certificates. ANPR camera-based enforcement issued 12,200 challans while first-time violators were issued warnings,” Mr. Singh said. He claimed that sustained policy action and strict enforcement were beginning to show visible improvement on the ground.
