Insurance claims of motorists with expired licences will be merit-based – SAIA
The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) says claims by drivers in possession of an expired driver’s licence won’t automatically be rejected.
The driver’s licences of hundreds of thousands of South African motorists are set to expire on Thursday.
The deadline for the renewal of licence cards which expired during the Covid-19 lockdown has been set for Thursday, but the massive backlog at licence and testing centres has left many unable to renew on time.
Insurance Risk Manager Zakes Sondiyazi says insurance companies will have to look at the full merit of the claim before make a decision.
"Motor insurance companies will not automatically reject a claim where a license has expired for reasons beyond their control.
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"So this includes such challenges that we are facing now and the insurance company in any event that there is a claim they will have to look at the full merit of the claim in totality before deciding and not reject a claim solely before a driver has expired.”
Several organisations, including the Automobile Association (AA) and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), have called on Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to extend the deadline for driver's license renewals.
Both organisations have cited major backlogs with the printing of licences which could take weeks or even months to clear.
