Online PUC Comes Into Effect

An online PUC? That’s right. the Pollution-Under-Control Certificate has also gone digital from September 2019.

The little yellow certificate that finds itself in wallets or on key-chains has bid adieu. With many unaware of the change, a visit to the PUC checkpoints provided some good and some not-so-good surprises for responsible motorists. Good, because the online PUC is now available with a choice of duration of six months or one year, and the little green certificate in a plastic cover has been gotten rid of. The entire process involves a picture of the registration plate taken, by the PUC checkpoints or your brand’s authorized service centres, and uploaded online, with a printout after completion of the test, subject to compliance, being issued which doesn’t need to be carried around as the PUC can be viewed online.

On the flip-side, the not-so-good surprise comes to those with older vehicles that were not issued a smart-card RC (registration certificate). This can be sorted by doing the vehicle’s online registration to make the entry in the database. The old – and rather large – Form 23 now has a contemporary, the Form 23A. Though many are still in the dark about this, a visit to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) or a driving school agent is what one would need to do to take care of it. This is applicable for older road-legal vehicles – those that were registered before the issue of smart card RCs. If, however, the vehicle is over 15 years old, it must also pass a fitness test and the requisite Green Tax must also be paid.

With BS VI norms kicking in next year, more efficient and cleaner bikes will be introduced. For those with BS IV two-wheelers, they are also clean vehicles with nothing to worry about. However, whatever the age of the vehicle or its mileage, if there is any noticeable blue smoke or perhaps any blackish soot coming out of the exhaust pipe, we urge you to get your vehicle checked. Not only is it environmentally-detrimental, but ignoring it with the idea that you may save a little money could just lead to a much greater, more expensive problem; one that could leave you without a working vehicle and a major hole in your pocket, too. Always maintain your vehicle well – check the tyre pressure and maintain engine oil level. It will return higher fuel efficiency and run smoother and more reliably, too. Seeing the big picture always helps.