New OTP Rule Slows PUC Certificates for Gurugram Vehicle Owners

A new fraud-control step is creating an unexpected queue at Gurugram's pollution testing centres. Vehicle owners must now verify a one-time password sent to the mobile number linked with the registration certificate before a Pollution Under Control certificate can be generated.

The process was introduced in Gurugram last week to stop certificates being issued against incorrect vehicle details and to keep registration records current. It works smoothly when the registered owner has the linked phone. The trouble begins with second-hand vehicles, company fleets and government cars whose records carry an old number or the contact of an official who is nowhere near the testing centre.

PUC operators said motorists who cannot receive the code are being directed to update their records at the Regional Transport Office or through the digital vehicle-services system. For a privately owned car, that can mean an extra visit. For a fleet, the driver may first need to locate the authorised person whose number is attached to dozens of vehicles.

The verification requirement addresses a real weakness in the older process, when a working number supplied at the test centre could be used even if it was not tied to the registration. A certificate is a regulatory document, and linking it to the recorded owner makes fraudulent or proxy issuance harder. The reform should not be rolled back simply because legacy data is messy.

But implementation needs a practical transition. The transport authority says an incorrect mobile number can be updated at the RTO within 24 hours. Vehicle owners should check their registration-linked contact before the PUC expiry date rather than discovering the mismatch during a roadside deadline. Centres should display the update steps and required documents clearly.

The stakes are significant. Driving without a valid PUC certificate can attract a Rs 10,000 penalty under the Motor Vehicles Act. Haryana is also preparing to restrict fuel supply in NCR from October for vehicles without a valid certificate. A data mismatch that delays legitimate testing could therefore become much more disruptive in the coming weeks.

Commercial operators and government departments need a designated fleet contact who can receive OTPs promptly or update each registration to an approved operational number. Used-vehicle buyers should make the mobile-number change part of the ownership-transfer checklist, alongside insurance and address records. Delaying it leaves the previous owner involved in future compliance.

The OTP rule can improve the credibility of emission testing, but only if owners can correct records without standing in another opaque queue. The RTA should track failed OTP attempts, update turnaround times and complaints during the first month. That data will show whether the system is closing a fraud gap or merely moving it from the PUC centre to the registration counter.