Gurugram is set to intensify enforcement of its ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule by installing automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at petrol pumps, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR. The first phase is planned from 15 November and is expected to involve 300 cameras that will check whether vehicles have valid pollution-under-control certificates before fuel is supplied.
The proposed system would read a vehicle’s registration number and compare it with an online record to determine whether its PUC certificate is valid. Vehicles without a valid certificate could be denied fuel under the reported enforcement plan. The report does not identify the specific government department responsible for implementing the system or provide an official notification confirming the rollout.
The move would shift enforcement from roadside checks to petrol-pump transactions. Instead of relying only on traffic personnel or pollution-control inspections, the proposed arrangement would make fuel stations a point where vehicle compliance is checked before a vehicle can refuel. The report does not specify whether the system will cover all petrol pumps in Gurugram immediately or whether the 300 cameras will be distributed across selected outlets in the first phase.
The reported plan also links the system to penalties for driving without a valid PUC certificate. Live Hindustan – NCR reported that motorists may face fines of up to Rs 10,000 for operating vehicles without the required certificate. The report does not clarify whether the fine would be issued automatically through the ANPR system, imposed after a separate traffic enforcement action, or processed through another authority.
For residents, the operational details will determine how the rule works in practice. The supplied report does not state how motorists will be notified when a vehicle is flagged, how recently renewed certificates will be updated in the online database, or what process will be available if a camera incorrectly identifies a vehicle or the database does not reflect a valid certificate. It also does not specify whether vehicles from outside Gurugram will be treated differently.
The plan places accuracy and coordination at the centre of implementation. ANPR cameras would need to read number plates correctly, while the online PUC records would need to be current and accessible at petrol pumps. The source report does not provide details on the technology vendor, data storage, privacy safeguards, maintenance responsibility or the cost of installing and operating the cameras.
The reported 15 November start date is the next stated milestone. Confirmation from the relevant Gurugram authority, along with an official order detailing the camera locations, enforcement procedure, exemptions, appeal mechanism and treatment of database errors, is required before the operational scope of the ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ system can be established.
