Motor Vehicle Act: Petrol pump distributes free refreshments at pollution checking centres

A petrol pump in Gujarat's Vadodara city on Monday distributed free refreshments to customers queuing up to obtain their Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.

With the implementation of the amended Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), the violation of PUC norms now invites a penalty of Rs 10,000.

"We provide free refreshments to customers throughout the day. It is 'seva', not business," said the petrol pump owner, Arvind Patel.

Patel said that the customers start lining up outside the station from 6 in the morning. "They stand all day under the sun. We have, by far, served over 13, 000 people. We want them to follow the rules," he added.

Extolling Patel for his altruistic deed, a customer said, "Because of the shortage of PUC centres in Vadodara, people have no other option but to stand in the queue the whole day. They sometimes have to skip the office to get the certificate."

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had notified the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 last month and it was implemented in many states from September 1.