New vehicle insurance rules: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), in June, directed insurance companies to stop selling long-term motor insurance package policy to new vehicle owners. Starting today (August 1), the long-term comprehensive motor insurance which covers damage to the vehicle and damages (or losses) caused to a third-party person, for three years for cars and five years for two-wheelers are scrapped.
From August 1st onwards, new car and two-wheeler owners in India will get benefits in motor insurance that could lower the upfront cost of vehicles as compared to before since vehicle insurance providers are no longer allowed to sell long-term own damage (OD) policy cover to new passenger vehicle owners meaning customers will not have to pay a higher upfront premium for the insurance policy and they will also have the freedom to change their insurance provider after one year.
Note that car owners will have to purchase three-year third-party (TP) cover while the same in case of two-wheelers will be five-years. With these changes, vehicle dealerships can no longer coerce customers into buying long-term OD insurance cover (which has a higher premium than standard policy).
If you are planning to buy a vehicle after August 1, you will have to buy a long term third party liability insurance, three-year for four-wheelers, and five-year for two-wheelers. Third-Party policy premiums are the same across all insurers, and the coverage is identical. So, you do not have much of a decision in the department. To insure your vehicle for own damage, you have two options.
First, you could buy a ‘bundled’ policy which is a combination of long-term third party liability policy, and one year own damage cover. Second, you could buy two separate policies. One is a stand-alone long-term TP policy, and the other stand-alone own damage policy. Your no-claim bonus will accrue annually. You can use your no-claim bonus (NCB) to get a discount at the time of renewal of the own-damage policy.
Instead of the previous three/five years compulsory insurance, a customer will now have to buy a compulsorily third-party motor insurance, though for longer terms under the new vehicle insurance rules. For car buyers, a third-party car insurance policy has been made compulsory for three years, while for new two-wheelers buyers, a five-year third-party two-wheeler insurance policy has been made mandatory.
As far as insurance for self-vehicle goes, customer will have a choice to go for either a bundle policy that includes both third-party insurance plus own-damage or a standalone own-damage vehicle insurance policy.
