Short Description
Over 70% of vehicles in India fail to meet compliance standards, raising concerns about road safety and vehicle management in the nation. Discover the implications and government responses.
Read Time
Approximately 4 minutes
Main Article
Recent data from the Indian Ministry of Road Transport reveals a troubling trend in vehicle compliance, highlighting that over 70% of the 40.7 crore vehicles on the roads are failing to meet critical statutory norms. This staggering statistic translates to approximately 28.5 crore vehicles that lack valid pollution under control (PUC) certificates, fitness certificates, or proper insurance. The majority of these non-compliant vehicles are two-wheelers, making up around 23.5 crore of the total. With this high percentage, road safety and environmental concerns have surged to the forefront of governmental agendas.
In a decisive move to address these compliance issues, the Ministry has proposed a framework aimed at improving adherence among vehicle owners. This framework includes a mechanism for automatic de-registration of vehicles that remain non-compliant after a specified period. To tackle the inflated numbers in the Vahan database, officials urge states to contribute feedback while planning for a comprehensive sanitization of the database. Historically, states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh have alarmingly high rates—over 40%—of registered vehicles that are actively non-compliant.
The government’s proposal categorizes vehicles into four distinct groups: active-compliant, active non-compliant, temporarily archived, and permanently archived. This classification system is not just a bureaucratic exercise; it serves to drive accountability and compliance. Vehicle owners are required to renew their fitness, PUC certificates, and insurance within a year to avoid being placed in a temporary archived status, which can lead to permanent archiving if non-compliance continues for two years. With this initiative, authorities aim to ensure that only roadworthy and compliant vehicles contribute to traffic, thereby enhancing overall public safety.
Moreover, the implementation of digital logging for compliance checks adds a layer of accountability, ensuring transparency and ease in tracking. Such measures could lead to a cleaner, safer driving environment, which is critical for both public safety and environmental sustainability.
Short Summary
The Indian government’s recent data indicates that over 70% of vehicles fail to meet compliance standards, largely impacting road safety. New frameworks push for timely renewals of essential documents, aiming to filter non-compliant vehicles through a structured classification system. These initiatives underscore the government’s commitment to enhancing traffic safety and environmental standards.

