Kerala KSRTC PUC scam: Pollution certificates issued without tests, allegations surface

Thiruvananthapuram: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has yet to initiate action against the KSRTC Pollution Under Control (PUC) test centre that allegedly issued PUC certificates to buses without conducting mandatory inspections, despite documentary evidence confirming the irregularity. Authorities are reportedly attempting to downplay the violation to avoid embarrassment.

The fraud is linked to the newly launched KSRTC PUC testing centre at the Vikas Bhavan depot in Thiruvananthapuram, where a certificate was issued to a bus operating on the Mananthavady–Sultan Bathery route, falsely claiming the vehicle had undergone a pollution test in the capital.

The video footage recorded in Mananthavady was illegally inserted into the smoke testing software, bypassing live emission checks. The malpractice was done by KSRTC officials overseeing the centre.

KSRTC established the facility, promoting it as a “reliable public-sector PUC testing system,” offering services to the public along with discounted testing fees. However, the revelation that multiple KSRTC buses received identical emission test results has raised serious concerns about credibility and environmental compliance.

According to officials, internal guidelines clearly instructed that certificates must not be issued without an on-site inspection. A KSRTC inquiry confirmed that PUCs were issued without buses being physically presented for testing. Under normal regulatory standards, such violations should result in an immediate suspension of operations.

Despite this, efforts are reportedly underway to contain the situation, as the scandal is damaging to both the Motor Vehicles Department and KSRTC, raising questions about vehicle pollution control, road safety, public trust, and environmental accountability in Kerala.