Uninsured vehicles put passengers at risk

Zim Now Writer

Over 40 percent of around 1,5 million vehicles on the country’s roads are putting passengers’ lives at risk as they do not have third-party motor insurance, the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) said.

Victims of road traffic accidents, ICZ spokesperson Ringisai Batiya said, fail to get compensation when they are injured while travelling on the uninsured vehicles.

The financial burden is usually shifted to the government, which has to meet the medical bills of victims of vehicle accidents.

Said Batiya: “About 40 percent of the approximately 1,5 million vehicles on the national database do not have third-party motor insurance. Through campaigns, ICZ has been educating and raising awareness on the need to comply with statutory requirements that every vehicle on the road should have third-party motor insurance.”

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) announced that all vehicles without valid licence disks were not being allowed to pass through tollgates with effect from 1 October this year.

The move by Zinara, Batiya said, will force motorists to comply with statutory insurance regulations: “The winner in this are road accident victims who will access compensation through insurance claims.”

Motorists will also be forced to register their vehicles, a development that helps in the traceability of stolen cars and tracking cars being used to commit crime.

Zinara, though, says about 300 000 vehicles do not have licence disks.