As per the Central Motor Vehicle Rule, 1989, a driver is required to always carry a valid driving license, insurance certificate, registration certificate and Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. While we always have other three documents ready with us but we often ignore the importance of PUC.
PUC certificate is given to a vehicle after ensuring that its emissions are within the prescribed limit as mentioned by the government. The certificate is a legal proof that emissions passed by a vehicle meet pollution control standards of the government.
New vehicles come with a PUC validity of one year. After that, car owners are required to get a new PUC for their vehicles from a station generally found at petrol pumps. The maximum validity of a PUC certificate for vehicles is 12 months.
In simple terms, a pollution certificate makes sure that your vehicle is not polluting the environment more than it should.
Following Data is mentioned on a PUC certificate:
- Serial number of the certificate
- Licence plate number of the car
- Expiry date of PUC
- Emission readings
As per the new guidelines of the Supreme Court of India passed in August 2017, it has become mandatory for vehicle owners of Delhi-NCR to produce PUC certificate for insurance renewal.
How to get a PUC Certificate?
A PUC certificate can be availed for vehicles which pass the PUC test successfully. Authorised PUC registration centres are present at most petrol pumps. These centres are equipped with government-regulated testing devices and have trained employees to conduct the test.
The test is done to check the percentage of carbon monoxide and other hydrocarbons in ppm (parts per million) in the emission against the permitted value.
In case a car emits higher levels of pollutant particles than the permissible limit, the PUC testing centres are legally liable to report the registration number of the car to the RTO, Deputy RTO or Assistant RTO within 24 hours.
How is a PUC Test Done?
The testing device is kept in the exhaust pipe of the vehicle. If it's a diesel vehicle, then the accelerator is pressed five times and an average of the emitted particles is considered as the final reading. Petrol vehicles are just left idle to get the reading.
Cost of a PUC Certificate
The rates of PUC tests have been kept nominal to encourage vehicle owners to always get their vehicles checked on regular for pollution. Depending upon the age of the vehicle and region, PUC test can cost any where between ₹60 to ₹100.
Happy Driving!
