Pollution check to cost more in city

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 15

Getting a pollution under control (PUC) certificate will cost more in the  city  as the State Transport Authority (STA)  has revised the charges for pollution check and issuance of the certificate.

Sources said the decision was taken at a recent meeting of the STA.

Besides, the STA has also  decided to  increase the  penalty for  testing  centres in case they are found violating the  rules. The charges for issuing a PUC certificate for  all type of vehicles have been raised from Rs 35 to Rs 50.    

It is mandatory for vehicle owners to carry a valid PUC certificate. Not doing so entails prosecution under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, which comes with a penalty of Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for every subsequent violation. The certificate needs to be renewed every  six  months. The sources said these rates had not been increased for the past six years.

 Besides, the STA has also decided to crack the  whip on testing  centres found violating rules.  The sources said the  STA  had increased the penalty   for violations  by up to five times. At present, for the  first offence, the  penalty is Rs 1,000 while for the second offence, it is Rs 2,000. Now, the penalty has been increased  from  Rs 1,000 to Rs  5,000 for the  first offence and Rs 10,000 for the  second offence.

The Secretary of the  STA  has  also  been  authorised to cancel the licence of testing  centres  at any time if these are found indulging in wrong practice.  The penalty for a delay in getting the authorisation  renewed has been  increased from  Rs 100 to Rs 500. The fees for the renewal  has also been doubled.