Nagpur: The Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Yavatmal on Wednesday de-recognised Royal PUC Centre for issuing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate to the Vidarbha Travels’ sleeper bus (MH29-BE-1819) a few hours after the accident that killed 25 passengers early on Sunday morning.
According to RTO records, the bus is registered under the name of Pragati Bhaskar Darne, and the head office of Vidarbha Travels is situated in the Yavatmal district headquarters.
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Thursday 13 March 2025
Rajabhau Gite, RTO (Amravati), confirmed that the PUC certificate for the bus had expired in March 2023, and it was operating without the mandatory certificate. It was revealed that the owner obtained the certificate on July 2 (Sunday), subsequent to the accident in which the sleeper bus was involved, resulting in the tragic deaths of 25 passengers. This revelation indicates that the PUC centre had engaged in malpractices by issuing certificates without conducting the necessary physical inspection of the vehicle. The details emerged during the post-accident investigation.
Deputy RTO (Yavatmal), DE Hirde, stated that investigations unveiled multiple violations of functioning and pollution check norms by the PUC centre. Consequently, the centre was issued a show cause notice, and its recognition was revoked. Gite added that appropriate action would be taken against the bus owner for obtaining the PUC certificate through manipulation.
According to the Motor Vehicles Act, it is mandatory for any person driving a vehicle to possess a valid registration certificate, driving license, insurance documents, and a PUC certificate. The PUC certificate is only issued after conducting a thorough inspection of the vehicle at government-approved centres. It is essential for the vehicle to be physically present at the centre during the inspection process.
Gite further clarified that the PUC certificate is not manually prepared. The validity period of a PUC certificate is automatically generated, leaving no room for manipulation of its validity period.
Hirde mentioned that the preliminary investigation conducted by his office revealed that the bus owner hastily obtained the PUC certificate a few hours after the tragic accident, seemingly with the intention of claiming insurance for the completely damaged bus, which is estimated to be worth over Rs1 crore. However, as of now, no action has been initiated against the owner of the travel bus.
The de-recognition of the Royal PUC Centre by the Yavatmal RTO highlights the seriousness with which authorities are addressing the irregularities in the issuance of PUC certificates. This action serves as a reminder that strict adherence to the necessary procedures and regulations is essential to ensure road safety and the well-being of passengers.
