Ahmedabad: The report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pointed towards a major compliance gap in the state’s transport administration, that Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) of 39.13 lakh vehicles had expired before Dec 31, 2023 and had not been renewed as of March 2024. Raising concerns over enforcement of emission norms and public health safeguards, the CAG report also shows that owners of 69,26,536 vehicles registered between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2019 did not renew the PUCC even once during the five-year period from April 2019 to March 2024. This indicates that a large number of vehicles may have continued to operate for years without periodic emission checks mandated under motor vehicle laws, the CAG pointed out.The audit has also flagged authorities’ failure to ensure only validly registered vehicles remain on the roads. Registration certificates of 5.4 lakh vehicles expired between April 2019 and March 2024, but owners neither renewed them nor reported the vehicles as destroyed or incapacitated, leading to non-realization of potential renewal fees of Rs 88.6 crore.The CAG report states that 4.99 lakh vehicles — mostly transport and other specific vehicles — were operating with expired fitness certificates involving leviable fees and penalties of Rs 980.2 crore, and that mandatory safety and tracking features like speed governors, High Security Registration Plates and vehicle tracking system devices were missing from many. Toll booth data analysis confirmed that vehicles were operating in violation of motor vehicle laws, the report states, adding that administrative and technology-related lapses compounded the problem. Incorrect categorization of vehicles, delayed updates in Vahan and Sarathi systems, and weak application controls led to short levy of fees, tax losses and compliance failures, the report states. In one instance, 79,762 duplicate driving licences were issued at the earlier fee of Rs 200 instead of the revised Rs 400, costing the state exchequer Rs 1.60 crore.The audit said the failure to link permit, fitness and PUCC issuance with compliance checks and payment of dues had weakened enforcement. It warned that unless corrective action is taken, the state risks continued revenue loss, rising pollution, and greater threats to road safety.Road to compliance: CAG’s recommendations* Institute mandatory automated validation controls in Vahan and Sarathi to block non-compliant registrations and certifications* Launch a statewide RTO-traffic police drive using toll plaza e-detection to identify vehicles with expired PUCC, fitness or permits* Establish a centralized monitoring and auction cell for impounded vehicles with an automated 90-day auction trigger* Strengthen aggregator compliance through quarterly digital reporting and graded penalties for repeated violations* Create a time-bound correction protocol with NIC to ensure statutory changes are promptly updated in Vahan and Sarathi
