Two-wheeler Emission test in India
According to the Central Motor Vehicles Act 1989, a vehicle can be driven on the public roads only if it has a legitimate PUC (Pollution under Control) Certificate. To get a PUC certificate, the vehicle needs to pass the emission test. Here you can know in detail about a PUC certificate and two-wheeler emission test to get that.
What is a two-wheeler emission test?
A two-wheeler emission test measures whether the vehicle’s emissions are in line with the legally permissible amount or not. In the emission test, the professionals check the amount of CO (Carbon Monoxide) in percent and other hydrocarbons in ppm against the prescribed criteria. To ensure that the pollutants emitted from the vehicles on road do not surpass the maximum limit. After passing the emission test, the vehicle owners are granted a Pollution Under Control certificate. As per the Indian Motor Vehicle rules, it is mandatory to carry this legal document while driving your vehicle on the public road.
What is the procedure for conducting an emission test?
Before starting with the process of emission test, the testing centre prepares the vehicle for the same, if required. After that, the testing process finally starts. For testing the exhaust emissions of diesel vehicles, the accelerator of the two-wheeler is completely pressed, and the readings of pollution levels are carefully observed. The process is repeated for five times, known as test cycles, and the average of all the readings is computed to get the final reading. In the case of petrol vehicles, while measuring the emissions, the two-wheeler vehicles are kept in an idle mode without pressing the accelerator and the emission values are recorded. Only one reading is taken and this is taken as the final reading. During the test, if the two-wheeler is found to release higher levels of emission (carbon and hydrocarbons) than the permissible limits, the testing centre reports the registration number of the vehicle to the RTO, Deputy RTO, or Assistant RTO within 24 hours.
Two-wheeler emission test criteria
Two-wheelers undergoing an emission test should meet the following standard carbon and hydrocarbon emissions criteria to successfully clear the test:
| Category of the vehicle | Hydrocarbon(measured in PPM) | % of Carbon Monoxide |
2 and 3 wheelers (2/4 - stroke) manufactured on or before 31st March 2000
| 4.5
| 9,000
|
2 and 3 wheelers (2 - stroke) manufactured after 31st March 2000
| 3.5
| 6,000
|
2 and 3 wheelers (4 - stroke) manufactured after 31st March 2000
| 3.5
| 4,500
|
4 wheelers manufactured according to Pre Bharat-Stage II Norms
| 3 | 1,500
|
4 wheelers manufactured according to Pre Bharat-Stage II, Stage III, or subsequent Norms
| 0.5 | 750 |
What is the cost of a two-wheeler emission test?
The cost of a two-wheeler emission test is very nominal. It ranges between Rs. 60 to Rs. 100 depending on the two-wheeler that is being tested and the type of fuel it uses.
Emission test certification
After a two-wheeler passes the emission test, an emission test certification is granted to the vehicle owner in the form of a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. It is a document that certifies that the emissions passed from the vehicle are under control and in compliance with the standard pollution control norms and will not cause any damage to the environment.
Details mentioned in the PUC certificate
Following are the information mentioned in the PUC certificate of the vehicle:
- The serial number of the certificate
- The vehicle license plate number
- The date of emission testing
- The date of expiry of the PUC certificate
- The emission readings in the test
What is the process to obtain a PUC certificate?
You can obtain a PUC certificate from petrol pumps that are authorized with specific testing devices and have trained employees for PUC testing. Besides the petrol pumps, you can also get it from the independent testing centre that is permitted to conduct PUC tests and issue the certificate.
Why do we need a PUC certificate?
Obtaining a PUC certificate for your vehicle is important. It helps the designated authorities to know whether the emissions from your vehicle are under the legally allowed amount or not. If the emissions from vehicles are not under control, then they can pollute the environment. So, for this reason, the government has made it mandatory to issue a PUC certificate for every two-wheeler.
PUC certificate validity
The validity of a PUC certificate is 1 year from the date of vehicle registration when issued for the first time. After the expiry date of the first certificate, two-wheeler owners need to undergo the emission test once in every 6 months (twice in a year) and get a fresh certificate issued every time. The validity of the new PUC certificate is 6 months unless any adverse reading is observed in the emission test. If the emission test of a two-wheeler shows negative readings, the validity of the PUC certificate is decided based on those observations.
