Sunday, Feb 16, 2003
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Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram
By S. Anil Radhakrishnan
All emission testing centres have been asked to issue computerised PUC certificate with colour photograph of the vehicle printed on it, as in Andhra Pradesh. The Government Order (GO) comes in the wake of the finding that PUC certificates are issued by many centres without checking the vehicles. The software developed by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) for testing the emission level of petrol vehicles -- the only one available - is not tamper-proof and can be manipulated in several ways, sources told The Hindu. Once the emission levels of a particular vehicle are tested at a centre under the new system, it becomes possible to issue the certificate to another vehicle as the details of the vehicle are entered manually. Also, emission level details of a vehicle can be changed at any stage according to the whims and fancies of the computer operator. Although the highest level of emission should be recorded in the certificate as per rule, it cannot be given as the computer and the gas analyser are at different places. As per GO (MS) No.3/2003 of the Transport Department dated January 24, 2003, all emission testing centres in the State should install a web camera, the requisite software, a computer, an inkjet colour printer and computerise the system before April 30. The testing centres have been asked to issue only a computerised PUC certificate showing the photograph of the vehicle from May. They have been asked to make arrangements to provide the details of the tested vehicles to the Regional Transport Officer and to the headquarters of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) housed in the Transport Bhavan at East Fort here. The main advantages of computerisation are that the vehicles would have to be made available at the centre for inspection as the photograph of the number plate has to be included and the impossibility of issuing handwritten PUC certificates as is being done by touts at the RTO and Sub-RTO offices in the State, the sources said. But this can also be manipulated by bringing the same class of vehicle with the same colour and taking the DTP of the number plate. Each centre will have to find Rs. 1 lakh for purchasing the SIAM software, computer, inkjet colour printer and computer and for upgradation of the gas analyser and smoke meters. In addition, the centres will have to equip the computers to provide details of the vehicles tested to the RTO and the MVD headquarters. The time needed for testing the vehicle will go up from the present one minute to three-five minutes. As the clarity of the photograph will be affected, the web camera will have to be very close to the vehicle to be tested. Many centres will have to aircondition the room and find more space for the testing centre as the rear number plate photograph is to be included. All class of motorists will have to pay more for the computerised PUC certificates to meet the cost involved in issuing colour certificates, electricity cost and other expenses. The sources said the hike will be in the range of Rs. 20 to Rs. 25. The testing centres are charging two-wheelers Rs. 25, cars Rs. 40 and heavy vehicles Rs. 50 since the PUC certificates were introduced in 1993. An office-bearer of the Association of Authorised Testing Stations said they would be forced to take legal steps as the Government directive will not in any way check the issue of fake PUC certificates or automobile pollution. ``Rather than going for computerised PUC certificates, the Government should introduce mobile testing centres to check the emission level in the road itself by MVD officials. Steps to enforce the rules for all Government vehicles, including KSRTC buses, have to be taken,'' he added. The association has also given a memorandum to the Transport Minister, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, to revise the fee, limit the number of testing centres and sanction new centres depending upon the need and to centralise the issue of licence for starting emission centres. A top official of the department pointed out that the association has favoured the computerisation of the emission testing centres. ``The loopholes have not been brought to the notice of the department. The department has received the memorandum from the association listing the demands,'' he said. The MVD will soon introduce mobile squads with private participation in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode to check emission levels of all class of vehicles, the official said. As per Section 115 (7) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, all class of vehicles after a period of one year of registration should carry a PUC certificate. The validity is six months and the certificate has to be carried on the vehicle and produced on demand.
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