The number of two-wheelers with PUC violations has jumped almost twice year on year for the last four years as per the details provided under RTI. The PUC certificates are necessary while plying a vehicle and indicate if the pollution emitted by the vehicle is as per norms or not. Though the data is only till 2022 (see box), air quality experts said that PUC should also take details of PM level as they help one understand air quality better.
𝗣𝗨𝗖 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮
The information was provided under RTI to FPJ by the Mumbai Traffic Police. Information sought for the four wheelers was not provided. As per information provided, the PUC violations jumped over 10 times from 2019 to 2022. While in 2019, the PUC violations stood at 569, in 2022 they were 7033. Figures stated that they jumped 2 to 2.5 times every corresponding year. From 569, it jumped to 1,438 in 2020 to 3,572 in 2021 and to 7033 in 2022.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗨𝗖 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗔𝗥 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿
"Firstly, the prevailing PUC tests and certificates provided are not sufficient. They do not take and give the details of PM 2.5 and PM 10, which are major concerns for air pollution. It gives details for pollutants like CO, which largely remain in the permissible limits. Secondly, PUC violations mean that people also do not go for PUC checks because they fear they will not get certification. That their vehicle is not as per standards and emission are beyond the safe limits. It is assumed that a person must be afraid of doing this," said Gufran Beig, founder and director, SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research), which measures air quality and predicts weather forecasts for early warning in metropolitan cities.
'𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲'
A V Shenoy, founder member, Mumbai Mobility Forum, which is a think tank working on transportation issues of Mumbai stated that the jump could also be due to sample size. "One is you have to co-relate it with the number of two-wheelers on the roads. You have to check the increase in the number of proportions. I do not think the number of vehicles has gone up. The other may be due to increased testing and sample size in testing. If they check more vehicles, then the increased figure will come. In the case of two-wheelers mostly petrol is used so I do not think it is a main culprit. I feel it is because of the number of tests."
𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗻𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹
"I will have to find out about the data as this is normally available with RTO and not with us. Only then will I be able to comment," said Pravin Padwal, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
"Just because someone does not have a PUC certificate on the road, there is a violation. They can be produced in seven days. That is the law. PUC norms are very high. All vehicles now are BS6 versions. I am not agreeable with the data and all transport vehicles are adhering to very high standards so there is no question of air pollution," said Bharat Kalaskar, Regional Transport officer, Mumbai Central.
