A Critical Review of Operational Practices and Regulatory Enforcement in PUC Certification of Vehicular Emissions

Abstract

The emissions from vehicles are the major driver for deteriorating air quality which harms the society and the environments despite the legal mandate of PUC certification of on-road vehicles. The effectiveness of regulatory enforcements and PUC operational activities are subjected to critical examination through this review. The internal issues such as inconsistent testing standards, inadequate technical & topical trainings, missing equipment maintenance and calibration, inconsistent testing methods and standards are brought out for the attention of the leaders in PUC. External issues pertaining to exponential rise in vehicles population, ageing motor vehicle fleets, PUC governance fragmented structure and its subsequent weak compliance coupled with low monitoring and missing feedback loop put constraints on policy implementation. The comparative analysis carried out for best global practices in European Union, Singapore, China and California (USA) depict that there it is robust on-road surveillance, strict enforcements mechanisms enhance vehicular pollution control effectiveness. Therefore, what we get in our findings that the PUC system remain under performing for reasons of limited modernization, managerial oversight gaps, low accountability and insufficient data-based governance.

However, in spite of all this, this paper explores the PUC regulatory structure established under Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVRs) 1989, and supported by state Transport Departments, MoRTH, and CPCB. The paper thus goes further emphasizing to adopt remote sensing (PEMS) devices, PUC operator accredited with standardized certification, vehicle lifecycle interventions (e.g., fitness, insurance, scrappage). The lasting improvement will only happen when vehicle owners get involved besides strengthening compliance mechanisms and instituting policy reforms. The elements of framework in Figure-1, explain all these.    Strengthening the PUC with such like frameworks proves essential for achieving national clean-air goals, protecting health of society, and supporting sustainable mobility transition and SDGs.