A number of of vehicle owners visiting the Al Rayyan Services Center of the Ministry of Interior say that they are facing difficulty in renewal of road permits (Istimara) because no counter of the insurance companies is available at the premises.
In the absence of insurance providers, many visitors have been forced to go to other services centers like the ones in Medinat Khalifa or Mesaimeer to complete the procedures. Renewal of insurance cover is mandatory for the annual renewal of vehicle permits.
The integrated services centers at various locations in the country have been providing different government services under one roof.
“There was an insurance counter at the center until a week ago but it stopped delivering services due to some technical issues,” an official at Al Rayyan services center told this daily. Asked about possible reopening of the counter he said: “I don’t know exactly but I hope it would reopen soon.”
"It is very disappointing when someone comes here only to get their Istimara renewed and finds that no insurance counter is working here. It is just a waste of our time and efforts," said Shaaban, an expatriate visitor.
"I can’t understand why there is no insurance counter in a busy center like this while Al Rayyan's population has grown manifold in recent times and daily hundreds of people visit the center only for renewal of their Istamara," he added. The insurance companies earlier stopped their services at some other centers as well such as the technical inspection facility (Fahes) of Woqod in Abu Hamour.
