The Supreme Court has suggested linking the purchase of fuel to the insurance status of vehicles as a measure to enforce mandatory motor insurance, saying vehicles without valid insurance could be refused fuel at petrol pumps until they obtain a valid policy. The directions were issued while the Court examined the widespread non-compliance with the mandatory insurance requirement under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The Bench noted that Section 146, under Chapter XI of the Motor Vehicles Act dealing with insurance of motor vehicles against third-party risks, prohibits the use of a vehicle without such an insurance policy. The system should specify the type of insurance held by a vehicle, including whether it has only the mandatory third-party insurance or a comprehensive policy. The Bench said linking fuel purchases with the insurance status of vehicles could help identify uninsured and unregistered vehicles and encourage owners to obtain valid insurance.