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Rush at PUC centres amid strict vigil and challans after restrictions kick in

NEW DELHI: Authorities at fuel stations and border check posts have stepped up enforcement a day after the Supreme Court tightened restrictions on vehicles with engines below BS-IV standards, and the Delhi government directed petrol pumps to refuse fuel to cars without a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate. On Wednesday, the SC had ruled that only vehicles with BS-IV engines and above will be exempt from action amid worsening air pollution. The government announced that from Thursday, no non-BS VI private vehicle registered outside Delhi would be allowed into the city, and cars without a valid PUC certificate would be denied fuel. At the Delhi-Noida and Ghazipur borders, officials said challans ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 are being issued to vehicles without a valid PUC. Cars entering Delhi from Noida or other neighbouring areas that are found to be below BS-IV or BS-VI standards are being turned back. We are checking the PUC certificates, especially in the case of older model cars and are imposing necessary fines on them, a traffic official at the Delhi-Noida border said. Since the ban came into effect, we have found very few such vehicles crossing the border area today, a traffic police official at the Ghazipur border added. Yet, enforcement continued in real time. While the official spoke, a BS IV vehicle was stopped, and a challan was issued. Fuel stations across the city saw heightened checking. The surge in inspections caused queues to form at on-site pollution check centres. At an HP fuel station in East Delhi, employees said, We are asking for pollution certificates before giving fuel, but we first start providing the fuel and then ask for the certificate. In case they do not have the certificate, we are asking them to get it done in the pollution centre beside our station. This loophole allowed some drivers to refuel before being sent to get a PUC. After heightened vigilance, one car was stopped and asked to present a certificate before refuelling. Delhi Transport Corporation employees stationed at a petrol pump in Ghazipur (NH24 IFC) reported facing resistance from vehicle owners while checking PUCs. A DTC employee said, We must be provided with an authorisation letter from the transport department regarding this and also a pollution check machine to carry out the work.

19 Dec 2025 8:09 am