Drivers urged to insure vehicles

Wa, Sept 4, GNA - Drivers and vehicle owners should insure their vehicles to take advantage of the National Insurance Commission's (NIC) compensation fund in case of accident.

Mr Gordon Wiru, a Legal Officer of the Commission, who gave the advice on Friday, said though the fund was established to take care of victims of hit and run and uninsured vehicles, every vehicle was legally bound to be covered by either a comprehensive or a third party insurance policy.

He said this when he spoke on motor insurance claims and the role of the NIC at an education forum organised by the Commission for members of the GPRTU and the Ghana Haulage Association, at Wa. The forum served as a platform for officials of the Commission to educate them on the functions of NIC and its role in the motor insurance.

It dwelt on claim procedure and documents required in support of a petition under the compensation fund and the Complaints and Settlement Bureau of the Commission.

Mr Wiru said the Commission had stopped paying claims to policyholders of the Great African Insurance, Reliance Insurance and continental Insurance companies, which were declared bankrupt some few years back.

He told the participants that the fund had not yet expanded to the level where it could afford to pay property damage claims to victims and was more concerned with accidents involving human life.

Mr Philip Kabutey-Ongor, an insurance officer of the commission, advised drivers against patronising fake insurance stickers and ECOWAS Brown cards, which were being sold at the lorry parks and urged them to obtain the documents from the right source.

The drivers complained that the emergency medical treatment facility under the motor insurance policy for accident victims was not being applied in the Upper West Region and asked NIC to take up that issue.

They also asked NIC to encourage insurance companies to organise such forums for motor policyholders to enlighten them on their rights and responsibilities.