New Delhi: Delhi witnessed widespread confusion and last-minute compliance on Wednesday, a day before the enforcement of the government’s ‘No Pollution Under Control (PUC), No Fuel’ policy, aimed at curbing vehicular emissions in the national capital. The impending rule triggered a sharp spike in demand for PUC certificates, with vehicle owners rushing to petrol pumps and authorised centres to avoid disruption.
According to official data, 31,197 PUC certificates were issued on December 17, marking a dramatic 76% increasecompared to 17,732 certificates issued the previous day. The jump of 13,465 certificates within 24 hours highlights the scale of last-minute compliance as the deadline approached.
Transport department officials said the surge clearly reflected panic-driven applications rather than routine compliance, with queues forming at multiple fuel stations across the city.
Policy Announcement Triggers Last-Minute Compliance
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa had announced earlier that from Thursday onwards, petrol and diesel would not be dispensed to vehicles without a valid PUC certificate at any fuel station in Delhi. The policy forms part of the government’s strategy to tighten emission controls amid persistent air pollution.
While the announcement initially evoked limited public response, anxiety among motorists intensified as the enforcement date neared. By Wednesday, several petrol pumps reported long queues at their PUC counters.
A fuel station operator said many vehicle owners admitted they were applying for certificates solely to avoid inconvenience once the rule took effect.
Sharp Spike After a Week of Stable Numbers
Official figures show that between December 10 and December 16, the daily issuance of PUC certificates had remained relatively stable, averaging between 16,000 and 17,700 per day:
- December 10: 17,044
- December 11: 16,419
- December 12: 16,305
- December 13: 16,551
- December 14: 16,624
- December 15: 17,719
Against this consistent trend, the surge on December 17 stood out sharply, placing pressure on PUC centres, fuel station staff and enforcement agencies.
Fuel Sales Dip as Motorists Avoid Delhi
The scramble for certificates had an unintended consequence — a drop in fuel sales within Delhi. According to the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association, many motorists chose to refuel in neighbouring cities such as Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
Association president Nischal Singhania said fears of stricter enforcement were driving behaviour.
“People believe checks in Delhi will be tighter. Many fear that apart from PUC, other documentation issues could also invite penalties,” he said.
Enforcement Already Intensified
Data indicates that enforcement against vehicles without valid PUC certificates has risen sharply even before the new rule’s implementation. In the past two months alone, over 1.56 lakh challans have been issued, each carrying a penalty of ₹10,000.
Over the last three years, such violations have increased more than threefold.
- 2023: 2.32 lakh challans
- By December 15, 2025: 8.22 lakh challans
A significant number of these were issued during the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)between October 14 and December 15.
Behavioural Enforcement Strategy
Policy experts view the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule as a behavioural enforcement mechanism, using daily necessity to compel compliance rather than relying solely on roadside checks.
The sudden surge in PUC applications demonstrates how enforcement certainty can rapidly alter public behaviour. Authorities will now monitor whether the compliance remains sustained and whether the policy has a measurable impact on vehicular emissions and fuel consumption trends in the capital.
