Kohima, 29 February (MTNews): The Transport department has issued a notification emphasizing mandatory insurance regulations for motor vehicles. The announcement, grounded in Sub-section (1) of Section 146 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, stipulates that “No person shall use, except as a passenger, or cause or allow any other person to use, a motor vehicle in a public place, unless there is in force, in relation to the use of the vehicle by that person or that other person, as the case may be, a policy of insurance complying with the requirements of this chapter.”
According to Section 196 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, any individual found driving a motor vehicle or allowing it to be driven in contravention of the provisions of Section 146 is subject to punishment. The penalties may include imprisonment extending up to three months, a fine reaching one thousand rupees, or a combination of both. For subsequent offences, the punishment may escalate to imprisonment for up to three months, a fine of four thousand rupees, or both.
These regulations are applicable throughout the entirety of India, and to enforce compliance, law enforcement personnel from both the Police and the Motor Vehicle Department are actively conducting vehicle checks on roads and public spaces.
“Therefore, in the interest of Public Service, the State Government reiterates the necessity for mandatory insurance against third-party risk for all motor vehicles as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and directs all vehicle owners to insure their vehicles against third-party risks to avoid penalties,” the notification received through the state DIPR read.