One in three vehicles in Kerala do not have insurance, says MVD

Thiruvananthapuram: The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) says that 38 per cent of the vehicles registered in the state do not have insurance coverage. 

Most of these vehicles are privately owned two-wheelers, and penalising them has often proven ineffective. Instead, the transport commissioner urged the government to impound those vehicles and only release them after the owner renews the insurance.

Currently, MVD slaps owner Rs 2000 in fines for not renewing the insurance of their vehicles. If the person repeats the offence, the penalty will be doubled. 

Meanwhile, the MVD also faces huge space constraints, making it even harder to confiscate vehicles. With the help of insurance companies, actions have been put in place to create special parking facilities in all 14 districts. 

The proposal is under the consideration of the government. The details of a vehicle's insurance coverage are included in a centralised database, enabling officials to swiftly take action against violators. Despite the introduction of online transfer of ownership, selling vehicles without updating the ownership documentation is still common practice.