Compulsory vehicle insurance a must
Mmegi Editor | Friday July 29, 2016 11:24
The vehicles are not only affordable to many of us, they are also comfortable to drive and fast. They have improved the lives of many families at the same degree as they have brought misery to others.
On average, five people die every week on our roads, whilst the police also record thousands of minor accidents during the same period. Many of the minor accidents occur either due to careless driving, or drunken driving, and they cause huge inconvenience to the victims. In some instances, the offender disappears into thin air, whilst in other cases such offenders are unable to pay the costs of the repairs needed on the affected vehicles.
Thousands of people have had to resort back to walking and using public transport after the offending party failed to follow through with the repairs.
It is against this backdrop that we call on the authorities to formulate a law that will make it compulsory for all motorists to enter into Third Party insurance to cover other motorists.
This arrangement will not only reduce the inconvenience caused by some motorists on others, but will also create jobs and increase accountability on our roads.
The insurance law should be formulated in such a way that it can accommodate old cars and make it compulsory for a motorist to keep the road worthiness of their vehicle in check all the time.
To ensure compliance, the insurance company can issue a card, which can be scanned to reveal the last time the vehicle went for service and the status of its roadworthiness.
The motorist should be required to carry the card at all times as they do their driver’s licence.
It is evident that the vehicle population is growing at an overwhelming rate, creating all sorts of challenges including traffic congestion and the aforementioned problems.
Of course measures should be put in place to prevent incidents of corruption where vehicles that are not roadworthy are allowed on our highways.
Most importantly, this industry has potential to create the much-needed jobs. Economic diversification does not only require consultants from abroad, it can be achieved through small things that may not seem to matter much.
Today’s thought
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
– Henry David Thoreau, Walden