Latest news with #PollutionUnderControlCertificate
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
Top Traffic Offences: What We See — And What We Don't
New Delhi: In popular imagination, Delhi's traffic violations play out like a well-worn reel — bikers zipping past without helmets, cars casually parked across footpaths, autos cutting through traffic, and intersections gridlocked by design and defiance. These are everyday images we associate with road indiscipline. But zoom in on the city's prosecution data until May 31, 2025, and the frame shifts. The real story of Delhi's most common offences is not just about what's obvious — it's also about what's often invisible. Improper or obstructive parking, no surprise, leads the charge. The western range has logged over 1.03 lakh violations, followed closely by the New Delhi range with 89,000-plus and 70,498 in the Central Range. From narrow residential lanes in Malviya Nagar to the buzzing commercial stretches of Punjabi Bagh, the script is familiar: too many vehicles, not enough space, and little regard for where they're left behind. It's a citywide obstacle course where cars routinely spill onto pavements, entrances, and exits — anything but a marked slot. Riding without a helmet, too, continues to dominate with around 2,45,727 violations across five ranges. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like local network access control Esseps Learn More Undo In the New Delhi range, it's not among the top five. The western range leads the chart, with 57,064 prosecutions, while the central, eastern and northern ranges have all seen above 50,000 prosecutions. Yet, despite repeated campaigns and crackdowns, the helmet remains more of an afterthought than a necessity for many riders and even more so for pillion passengers. But where things get interesting — and alarming — is just beneath this layer of visible violations. Two seemingly quiet offences are emerging just as prominently: driving without a Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) and valid insurance. These aren't the headline-making, in-your-face kinds of infractions. You don't see smoke trails or flashing "No Insurance" signs on a car. But the numbers tell a sharp story. In the western and eastern ranges, over 69,000 vehicles were prosecuted without a PUCC, with this being the top offence in the eastern range. Similarly, in the southern range, with 62,379 prosecutions, PUCC violations surpassed cases of illegal parking and held the first position in the top five. This is in a city where air pollution is a seasonal crisis and vehicle emissions are a major contributor. Likewise, driving without valid insurance, often dismissed as an oversight, is widespread. In the Central Range, 38,606 prosecutions were recorded, a figure that surpasses even helmet violations in some other ranges. Driving without a licence is also growing. In all six ranges, it's one of the top five offences. 47,427 prosecutions were recorded in the western range, followed by 41,848 in the northern range. What makes the violations concerning is that they go largely unnoticed, until a traffic stop, or worse, an accident. A missing PUCC means a potentially polluting vehicle left unchecked. No insurance means no financial or legal cover in the case of a mishap. Yet, because they don't obstruct traffic or draw attention, they rarely spark the same reaction as a badly parked car. Interestingly, across all seven traffic ranges in Delhi, the top five offences remain the same: improper parking, missing PUCC, helmetless riding, lack of a driving licence, and missing insurance. The uniformity speaks volumes. It suggests not just a pattern in enforcement, but a pattern in behaviour cutting across class, region and vehicle type. From Lutyens' Delhi to neighbourhoods of the east and north, the rules people flout remain consistent. The data also challenges how we perceive road safety. Helmet drives, parking fines, and tow-away zones dominate the public narrative — and rightly so. But the real danger may lie in the quieter breaches. They may not be visible, but their impact — legal, financial, environmental — runs deep. It's about what slips past unchecked.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Fuel ban, scrapping: How Delhi-NCR plans to get rid of overaged vehicles
From July 1, your vehicle could be denied fuel at a petrol pump in Delhi if it's overage — 10 years for diesel vehicles and 15 years for petrol ones. Classified as End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs), these will be automatically flagged through surveillance systems as part of a comprehensive action plan rolled out by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to reduce vehicular pollution in the National Capital Region. The enforcement drive will begin in Delhi and gradually expand to the rest of NCR in phases, as outlined in directions issued by CAQM in April. The central tool in this effort is a network of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, now operational at all 520 fuel stations in Delhi. These systems, linked to the VAHAN database, are designed to detect overaged and non-compliant vehicles in real time. From July 1, when a vehicle enters a fuel station in Delhi, ANPR cameras will scan the licence plate and instantly cross-check details against the VAHAN registry. If the vehicle is flagged as ELV or lacking a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC), the system will issue an audio alert to the operator. For example, the alert may say: 'DL XX XX XXXX is an EoL vehicle. Not to be fuelled.' Fuel station staff have been instructed to deny fuel to such vehicles. Enforcement teams comprising officials from the Delhi Transport Department and Delhi Traffic Police will make periodic rounds to monitor compliance. Apart from denying fuel to ELVs flagged by the system, the broader enforcement plan also includes impounding flagged vehicles, scrapping through Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) in NCR, and issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for owners wishing to transfer such vehicles out of Delhi. Key dates in the action plan: – July 1: Enforcement begins in Delhi. – October 31: Plan comes into effect in five High Vehicle Density districts — Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Sonipat. – April 1, 2026: Rest of NCR. As per official data, Delhi has 62 lakh end-of-life vehicles, including 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. The rest of the NCR has another 44 lakh ELVs, underscoring the scale of the cleanup exercise. Officials said traffic surveillance cameras and Integrated Command and Control Centres will also be used to monitor road traffic and identify overaged vehicles still in circulation. The enforcement teams will issue penalties and initiate impoundments based on real-time data. This plan is grounded in a series of legal directives: a 2015 National Green Tribunal order prohibiting the use of overaged vehicles; a 2018 Supreme Court ruling upholding this ban; and the 2021 vehicle scrapping policy by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Under current rules, vehicles impounded for a second time will be sent directly to RVSFs. Owners of vehicles from outside Delhi-NCR can be fined Rs 10,000 for four-wheeler ELVs and Rs 5,000 for two-wheeler ELVs. Owners may apply for release within three weeks of impoundment, and authorities are to decide on such applications within seven days. So far, 3.63 crore vehicles have been screened under the ANPR system in Delhi. Of these, 4.90 lakh have been identified as End-of-Life. Since the system's trial launch in December 2024, 29.52 lakh vehicles have renewed their PUCCs, and fines worth Rs 168 crore have been issued for violations. According to Dr Virender Sharma, Member (Technical) at CAQM, the transition to a tech-driven approach was necessary due to poor enforcement under manual systems. 'The orders existed, but implementation was weak. This new system brings real-time, on-ground enforcement through technology,' he said. Dr Sharma added that older vehicles such as BS-III emit up to six times more NOx and 4.5 times more Particulate Matter than BS-VI compliant vehicles, making their removal critical to the region's air quality, especially ahead of the winter smog season. The CAQM has clarified that BS VI-compliant vehicles in petrol, diesel, CNG, and EV categories are widely available and will continue to be allowed on roads. The goal of the plan is to systematically liquidate the most polluting segment of the vehicle fleet, thereby reducing Delhi-NCR's transport sector emissions, it said. In the months ahead, daily enforcement drives will be carried out and reports submitted to the Environment Department, which will forward them to the Commission, as per the guidelines. Vehicles flagged by the ANPR system will face either impoundment or mandatory scrapping, with options for relocation outside NCR available in limited cases. 'It needs no emphasis,' the air monitor said in a statement Friday, 'that the transport sector's contribution to NCR's air pollution is significant. This action plan prioritises the removal of the most polluting vehicles — those built before current emission norms.'
Hans India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Pollution control strategy launched
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday launched the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025, outlining a comprehensive strategy to combat air pollution in the national capital. Emphasizing her vision for a 'clean and healthy Delhi,' the CM unveiled a series of measures aimed at reducing emissions and improving air quality across the city. Speaking at the launch event, CM Gupta announced that mist sprayers will be installed in 13 high-pollution zones of Delhi as part of the immediate response measures. She also declared that from November 1, only BS-IV, CNG, and electric vehicles will be allowed to enter the capital, as part of efforts to control vehicular emissions. Construction sites larger than 500 square metres will now be required to register with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) under the new pollution action plan, to ensure stricter monitoring and adherence to environmental norms. In a major step toward sustainable mobility, the government plans to deploy 2,300 electric autos (e-autos) at metro stations across Delhi, enhancing last-mile connectivity while reducing address concerns around corruption and non-compliance in vehicle emission checks, Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) centers will undergo biannual audits. The Chief Minister also announced the launch of a mass tree plantation drive titled 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name), which will commence on June 5, coinciding with World Environment Day. As part of this initiative, 70 lakh saplings are expected to be planted across the city this year. Highlighting the role of science and innovation, CM Gupta revealed that the Delhi government will collaborate with top scientific institutions to implement advanced anti-pollution strategies. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur has been signed to conduct a pilot project based on cloud seeding and artificial rain, aiming to reduce particulate matter in the air. 'Very soon, artificial rain through cloud seeding will be a reality in Delhi,' CM Gupta stated, underlining the government's intent to employ cutting-edge technology in environmental management.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
03-06-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launches 'Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025'
Deployment of 2,300 electric autos at metro stations, installing of mist sprayers at 13 pollution hotspots and audit of PUCC centres every six months -- these are some of the features of the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 launched by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday. The chief minister stressed that clean and healthy Delhi is the government's dream and said air pollution directly affects people's health. Under the plan titled 'Shuddh Hawa Sabka Adhikar Pradushan Par Zordar Prahar', the government will start planting trees under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign with a target to plant 70 lakh saplings this year, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, a unique initiative combining environmental responsibility with a heartfelt tribute to mothers. Gupta said an audit of Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) centres will be conducted every six months to prevent any corruption. To reduce traffic congestion, the government is introducing a Smart Intelligent Traffic System, she said. "We want only BS-VI, CNG and electric vehicles to enter Delhi from November 1," she added. The construction sites larger than 500 sq m must register on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) portal, she added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Indian Express
03-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Insurance challans in Delhi see 203% surge till May 29 this year
NEW DELHI: The national capital has witnessed a 203 per cent surge in challans and notices issued for vehicles operating without insurance till May 29 this year, compared to the same period in 2024. Similarly, there was a 117 per cent increase in challans and notices for driving against the authorised flow of traffic, police said on Monday. According to the police, challans are issued on-site by traffic personnel, while notices are generated online through traffic violation detection cameras. Till May 29 in 2024, a total of 11,43,924 challans and notices were issued for overspeeding, while the number rose to 12,70,210 this year, marking an 11 per cent increase. The number of challans for driving without a helmet (rider/pillion rider) was 3,58,583 this year, a 10 per cent increase from 3,24,187 in 2024, the police data showed. Similarly, the number of challans and notices for Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) violations was 2,61,317 in 2024, which slightly increased by 0.17 per cent to 2,61,764 this year. A total of 2,08,814 drivers without licences were prosecuted in 2024, which rose by 11.53 per cent to 2,32,892 in 2025. For driving or riding without insurance, 1,21,537 challans and notices were issued in 2024, while the number surged to 3,68,358 this year. Similarly, 81,766 people were prosecuted for driving against the flow of traffic in 2024, increasing to 1,78,071 in 2025 till May 29.
