The Chandigarh Traffic Police will soon be provided with handy pollution-checking machines for on-the-spot checking of vehicles for pollution.
If any vehicle is found emitting pollutants, its owner will be asked to produce a certificate issued by an authorised pollution-checking centre. In case the owner provides it, heavy penalty will be imposed on the centre that had issued the fake certificate. The licence of the centre will also be cancelled.
Decisions in this connection were taken during a meeting of the State Transport Authority, Chandigarh, held to review the working of the Transport Department.
It was further decided that surprise visits should be conducted at pollution-checking centres located across the city to check issuance of fake pollution-check certificates.
MP Kirron Kher chaired the meeting. KK Jindal, Secretary, Transport, Amit Talwar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, and Rajiv Ambasta, DSP Traffic, were present in the meeting.
Kher stressed that steps may be taken to decrease pollution in Chandigarh. It was decided to ban the entry of diesel auto-rickshaws from Punjab and Haryana. She directed that diesel autos registered by the Chandigarh STA should be converted into LPG-run vehicles at the earliest, either by providing subsidy or motivating the owner.
Kher said there must be uniform for auto drivers with the badges bearing their names.
It was also decided that nakas should be set up on the borders of the city to check the entry of vehicles, which have outlived their utility.
Kher pointed out that there were only four LPG stations in the city during 2009 against 3,000 LPG vehicles. The number of vehicles has doubled over the years while the count of LPG gas stations remains the same. In view of this, the MP said the number of LPG stations should be increased.