Public demand more centres for issuing emission certificates

With the traffic police collecting fines from motorists without emission certificates, consumer activists and the public want more centres to check vehicle emission levels be opened in city.

Many such centres that were located inside retail fuel outlets have been closed over the years due to various reasons.

The owner of a petrol bunk said, “The number of people getting checks has gone down. The cabins used by the emission outlets take up more space inside our bunks and block vehicles coming for fueling.”

Another fuel outlet owner said that as many service centres had emission check facilities, those at fuel outlets were not being used as frequently as earlier. “Many of us did not want to be burdened with annual permissions from RTOs. It is no longer a lucrative business and even those who have emission centres are shutting them down,” he said.

Consumer activist T. Sadagopan said, “If there is no implementation, then a rule is a waste. With global warming, we should take serious steps to reduce vehicle emissions,” he said.

Advocate V. S. Suresh Souli said that RTOs were insisting upon emission checks for vehicles that had been repaired after they had met with accidents and for vehicles that needed fitness certificates. At least old MTC buses and heavy vehicles like brick-laden lorries need to have emission checks on a regular basis.

The police only ask for pollution certificates during rare special drives, perhaps the police should have a drive specifically for emission check certificates, he added.