The national capital began its stricter “No PUC, No Fuel” drive on October 1, putting the city’s vehicle-testing system under fresh scrutiny. A CAG audit found that only 46% to 63% of vehicles due for Pollution Under Control (PUC) checks were tested in Delhi from 2018-19 to 2020-21, with the share falling to 51% in 2020-21.

The number of registered vehicles has since grown. Delhi had 87.61 lakh registered motor vehicles as of March 19, 2026, including 59.28 lakh two-wheelers, according to the Economic Survey.

The Transport Department says about 953 PUC centres are operational across the city, including 698 at fuel or IGL stations and 255 at workshops, depots and dealer facilities. That amounts to about 9,184 registered vehicles per centre, although the ratio does not measure actual testing capacity.

The CAG’s audit found that 1.06 crore vehicles were due for PUC checks in 2018-19, against 48.69 lakh checks conducted. In 2019-20, 1.12 crore vehicles were due and 71.11 lakh were tested. In 2020-21, 1.18 crore were due and 62.18 lakh were tested.

Pre-BS-IV vehicles required quarterly checks, increasing the number of tests due. The enforcement network is now much wider. The Transport Department says ANPR cameras operate at about 500 strategic locations, including fuel stations and interstate bus terminals. It issued 2,88,864 challans for invalid PUC certificates in 2025, or about 791 a day. The department also inspected PUC centres 1,288 times, issuing 283 warnings and 69 show-cause notices, suspending 39 centres and cancelling 13.