Mumbai, Sep 17, 2020: India is witnessing the fourth phase of ease also known as Unlock 4.0 regardless of things not falling into place just as before. The reason behind this is there are many states that are still implementing lockdown after gaps of a few days just to ensure the safety of the citizens and lower the risk of new COVID cases. This results in the government offices being shut for days and in turn vehicle owners fail to get their documents (fitness certificate, permit, RC, license, PUC, etc) renewed. To resolve this issue the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) declared that the validity of all vehicle documents under the Motor Vehicle Act and Central Motor Vehicle Rules are further extended till December 31, 2020.
What is a Third-Party Vehicle Insurance?
Third party car insurance or third party bike insurance is a mandatory motor insurance type for Indian roads. This insurance covers for the damages made to third-party or third-party property in case of an accident. Similarly, in case you or your property incur damages in an accident caused by someone else’s vehicle, you can claim for compensation against the owner of that car by all means.This insurance has been made mandatory in India by IRDAI for all vehicles to protect the financial interests of both the owner and third-party in case of an unforeseen circumstance.
Official Statement
The MoRTH, in its press release, stated that:
"Taking into consideration the situation still continuing due to conditions for prevention of the spread of COVID-19 across the country, it has further advised that the validity of the above-referred documents whose extension of validity could not or not likely to be granted due to lock-down and which had expired on February 1, 2020, or would expire by December 31, 2020, the same may be treated to be valid till December 31, 2020."
Past Occurrences
This is the fourth time that the Ministry has extended the validity in the last 6 months, due to the COVID crisis. The ministry first extended the date of validity till 30 June, then 31 July, and then 30 September. However, examining the current situation and increasing cases in India, the Ministry believes that another extension for the same is required for the easement of citizens and their vehicles and extended the validity till 31 December 2020. This has been done due to this abnormal situation which resulted in a big barrier in the path of running the RTOs smoothly and up to its full work capacity.
Even though this extension compulsorily applies to all vehicle-related documents issued by the government, but it does not cover the own damage clause. Hence, if you own comprehensive car insurance or a comprehensive bike insurance and it is about to expire, buy car insurance online if possible. Renewal of the own damage insurance policy is highly suggested because expired motor insurance might cause the owner to get a liability of paying a late fee or fine besides a thorough inspection of the vehicle by the officials.
(Disclaimer--Features may vary depending on the regions; subject to change without notice.)