The Interior Ministry is planning to remove long-uninsured vehicles from Slovakia’s vehicle register. The move comes under a draft law on compulsory car insurance, prepared in cooperation with the Finance and Transport Ministries.
According to the National Audit Office, there are more than 600,000 uninsured vehicles in Slovakia — and nearly half of them are still on the roads. In response, the state is proposing systemic changes based on the auditors’ recommendations.
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok says Slovakia has long lacked the tools to deal with uninsured drivers:
“For years, there’s been no database or system that would allow the Interior Ministry to sanction defaulters. Our aim is to make sure that citizens who pay their compulsory insurance are not at a disadvantage compared to those who don’t.”
The proposed law would connect the national vehicle registry with the compulsory insurance database run by the Slovak Insurers’ Bureau. Ministry spokesperson Eva Irgel Jacková says the new link should make a big difference:
“We’re working on solutions that will greatly improve the quality and speed of data exchange. These measures should help reduce the number of uninsured vehicles in Slovakia, which remains alarmingly high compared to neighbouring countries.”
Under the proposal, uninsured vehicles would fail technical and emissions inspections, and those without coverage for more than two years would be removed from the register entirely.
If approved by parliament and the government, the Interior Ministry plans to carry out the first database screening in March. Experts can comment on the draft until November 11.
Source: Rádiožurnál, Slovak Radio
