Air pollution from road transport remains an important environmental concern in Goa, as it is across India. Heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses are significant contributors to transport-related particulate pollution, particularly PM2.5 emission. At the same time, cars and two-wheelers collectively form a large share of the vehicle population. Against this backdrop, questions have been raised about the use of AI-enabled cameras to identify vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates and issue challans. Reports of a newly purchased vehicle being issued a PUC-related challan, despite being within the applicable exemption period, have also raised concerns about whether automated systems are accurately recognizing a vehicle's registration date and PUC requirements. Under the current system, a newly purchased vehicle generally requires its first PUC certificate after one year. For old vehicles subsequent certification is required at six-month intervals. Missing the renewal date, even inadvertently, can expose the owner to penalties. A longer renewal period of one year for vehicles that meet prescribed emission standards could reduce this compliance burden. The objective of PUC enforcement should ultimately be cleaner air and better compliance and not unnecessary hardship for responsible vehicle owners.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
