No Insurance Renewal Without Valid Pollution Certificate: SC [Read Order]

The Supreme Court today ruled that henceforth vehicle owners who don’t have a valid pollution certificate will not be able to renew the insurance of their vehicles

A bench led by Justice Madan B Lokur issued a direction to all insurance companies to ensure polluting vehicles stay off the roads.

The bench also asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to ensure that all fuel refilling centres in the National Capital Region (NCR) have PUC centres.

The apex court granted four weeks’ time to the Centre to ensure that there are functional PUC centres in NCR to ensure that vehicles plying have PUC certificate.

The order was issued after suggestions given by SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).

 The bench was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist MC Mehta way back in 1985 dealing with various aspects of pollution.

EPCA had told court that the current enforcement strategy based on "onroad" checks and challans also did not ensure 100 per cent pollution certificate compliance.

"It is recommended that the annual vehicle insurance scheme, which is mandatory for all vehicles, must be linked with a valid PUC certificate. All vehicles have to obtain insurance as there is a very stringent penalty involved, including imprisonment, under the Motor Vehicles Act. At the time of obtaining insurance, the authorities should verify the PUC certificate from the RTO, after which insurance will be advanced or renewed," the EPCA contended.