Odisha government mandates GPS-based geofencing for auto emission testing centres to curb fake PUCCs and ensure physical vehicle inspections
OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha transport department is implementing measures to address widespread malpractices in the issuance of pollution under control certificates (PUCC) by mandating geofencing for all auto emission testing centres. This initiative is designed to guarantee that vehicles undergo a physical inspection prior to the issuance of certificates.
Under the forthcoming GPS-based system, vehicle owners will be required to take their vehicles to specified testing centres. Operators will then perform inspections, capturing live videos and photographs before processing the applications.
“We are receiving complaints regarding vehicles obtaining PUCC without physically visiting testing centres. To address this issue, we are conducting trial runs of an AI-enabled geofencing software — PUCC version 2.0 — for its swift implementation,” stated state transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur.
Additional commissioner Dipti Ranjan Patra elaborated that all centres will be geo-fenced, allowing authorities to confirm the actual presence of vehicles before certificates are issued. Geofencing establishes a 200-metre virtual boundary around a location to monitor vehicle entries and exits.
“PUCC version 2.0 will be integrated with the Vahan portal. Testing centres will be mandated to install an application that records the geographical coordinates of vehicles arriving for inspections. The application will verify the vehicle’s presence within the geo-fenced area. Only then can the software process the PUCC application,” Patra explained.
At present, auto emission testing centres only require a photograph of a vehicle’s registration plate to issue certificates — a loophole that has permitted operators to provide fraudulent PUCCs at customers’ locations without requiring the physical presence of vehicles. These unmonitored vehicles continue to contribute to air pollution.
“To address this issue, PUCC 2.0 will require a landscape photograph of the vehicle taken at the testing facility, a brief live video of the emission test recorded through the PUCC application, and geo-location information from the mobile device utilized to capture both the photo and video,” stated Patra.
Currently, Odisha has approximately 1,500 operational auto emission testing centres, which are equipped with more than 1,800 machines. Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena cautioned that strict measures will be taken against offenders. “We have already revoked the licenses of 42 centres that were found to be issuing fraudulent certificates,” Jena remarked.
