Gahlot announces steps to reduce rush at Delhi pollution checking centres

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday announced measures including increase in capacity of computer server to deal with rush at pollution checking centres in the national capital due to implementation of the new Motor Vehicles Act from September 1.

The minister said the Transport Department witnessed a three-fold increase in the number of applications for pollution certificates from 15,000 to 45,000 on average per day after the implementation of the new Motor Vehicles Act.

"We also received complaints of malpractices in pollution checking centres and two of them were suspended. We will take strict action against the violators," Gahlot said.

He said all the 941 centres functional from 7 am to 10 pm to deal with the rush in the pollution checking centres.

"The server capacity has been increased nearly twice. Now, the Transport Department can handle 6,000 online applications per hour comparing to 3,200 applications per hour," he said.

He said the Delhi Government has decided to open more pollution checking centres.

An advertisement in this respect will be floated on Thursday, he added.

Gahlot said certain transport terminals and depots will provide pollution checking services.

"In centres which are seeing an extreme rush, civil defence volunteers will be deployed for crowd management and maintain law and order. Ten such centres have been identified," he said.

Speaking to ANI, Gahlot said though the state governments have certain discretionary powers to ease the penalties with respect to certain offences as per the Act but Delhi government is not mulling plans to dilute them since the stringent measures were meant to ensure road safety.

"Road safety is a major concern in Delhi and we are very serious about it," he said.

"We are closely observing the initiatives by other states as well as consulting with various stakeholders. At any stage, if the Delhi government is convinced (about the need) to reduce the penalties for certain offences, we shall do the needful," the minister remarked.