Green Card - North Ossetia

[Livotlout]

Managed to purchase Russian Green Card Insurance in Vladikavkaz.
Unable to find it at Kazbegi border or along route.
Purchased from MCK, situated in large grey office/banking building (upstairs),
situated on the east bank of the River Terpek(sp), in the centre of town approx. 300mtr. north of bridge amongst trees, off Prospect Mira. Even served coffee and cakes whilst the two girls assisted me.

Maybe of help -Alec

N43° 01.45' E44° 40.83' [GPS provided by Alec, CS]

[stephen.stallebrass]

Good news. How much and for how long? I assume it was basic third party liability cover. I'm trying to get my insurer to issue me a green card but I don't think they will, which means I'll have to purchase some in Vladikavkaz too.

[Tony P]

Originally Posted by Livotlout

Managed to purchase Russian Green Card Insurance in Vladikavkaz.
Unable to find it at Kazbegi border or along route.

I would be highly surprised if you bought Green Card Insurance.

To avoid confusion, a Green Card is insurance issued for use in one country extended to include use in another country(s).

What I suspect you probably bought was a standard Russian road insurance policy for cover only within Russia. This is the normal Russian minimum legal road insurance and is available for anyone (foreigner or citizen alike) to buy, for any vehicle (foreign or locally registered alike), for use anywhere in RUS (sometimes including Belarus).
Look for the word Страхование (Insurance) on sign boards or doors.

You are permitted to ride/drive without insurance from the border to nearby towns to purchase insurance.
Just as last week I rode a new, unregistered moto from the dealer to get it inspected and registered at a Police office. To obtain insurance you require a registration number so it would have been impossible (in Russia anyway) to have been insured at the time of the police inspection/registration!
Bribe seeking officials might try to tell you otherwise - and often do.

[Tony P]

Originally Posted by stephen.stallebrass

How much and for how long? I assume it was basic third party liability cover.

For motos, the cost varies between about £8-£12 per month.
For cars it depends more on engine horsepower, but as an example, my Ford Mondeo 1.8 car cost me about £90 for 6 months.

Insurance sellers at border offices are usually slightly more expensive than within RUS.

Yes, it is third party cover only.

Another insurance detail to know within RUS - insurance compnies only consider claims if there is a Roads Police report. Should you be involved in an accident that will give rise to a claim you should leave the vehicles exactly where they are (irrespective of blocking roads and resulting traffic chaos) and wait for the special Accident Report Unit to come - and in Moscow that can take many hours!

[Griffdowg]

Tony,

what do you think I should do about insurance for my 4x4?

We have moved our route slightly so will be crossing from Sweden - St Petersburg for about 3-4 days in February then leave RUS.

Then we will cross from Georgia - RUS - KAZ in April/May so a few days again.

Then eventually KAZ - Altai - Mongolia - Siberia! (July/August)

Should I get individual cover for the short legs or just get 12month cover at the 1st opertunity?

Probably be in Siberia till mid September.

Cheers,

G

[Tony P]

G, Hi.

I am not sure if the minimum period is a week or a month. The longer the period the (slightly) cheaper the rate. After possibly a week or 2 week minimums, the options run in months, up to a year.

Insurance offices will have a rate card showing various periods for your period for your vehicle's horsepower.
A quick glance will give the answer if it is cheaper to have two minimum periods and a longer one or fewer, more continuous, periods.

Obtaining insurance within RUS is no problem so if yours is near to running out you can easily buy more in any larger town.

Although not reckless with spending (!) I find the cost of RUS road insurance is little in the scheme of things.

[Livotlout]

Hi Tony,

Exactly how I searched insurance offices using the above, who in turn directed me to the 'main office' in town when I requested green card.
Whether I have same , I do not know, other than upon first shake down by the police, I knew insurance (and other docs) were good when he - the police went on to suggest I was drunk.........haha on cola...........did I pay a bribe.......................no

Alec

[Griffdowg]

Originally Posted by Tony P

Although not reckless with spending (!) I find the cost of RUS road insurance is little in the scheme of things.

thanks for that. I wasn't sure if it was all done behind closed doors and made up in people heads!

It may only be a little for a big trip, but every little helps

thanks all.

G

[stephen.stallebrass]

Tony:

Have you heard about this?

ITAR-TASS : Japanese motor-cyclist killed in Zabaikalye

ULAN UDE, May 23 (Itar-Tass) — A tourist from Japan has been atrociously killed in Zabaikalye (trand-Baikal area). "His body bearing the signs of a violent death was discovered on May 22 in Khilok District at the 760th kilometre of the Baikal Federal Highway (Irkutsk-Chita)," an official at the Investigation Department for Zabaikalye Territory of the Investigation Committee of Russia, told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

"An investigation operative group inspected the scene of the incident where a Suzuki motorcycle, a tent, clothes, a mobile phone, money, and other personal belongings of the tourist were found. According to the main avenue of inquiry, a 31-year-old Japanese national was travelling about Russia, riding a motorcycle. He halted for the night not far from the Highway in the area of a road turn leading to Zhiphegen Village, Khilok District, and putched up a tent. Over there, an unknown malicious attacker inflicted more than 30 stab wounds upon the man and fled," department official Yegor Markov said.

Criminal proceedings have been instituted under Article 105 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation("murder"). Investigation is under way and a search for the murderer has been mounted.

This is terribe news. I'm travelling on my motornike to Magadan via Mongolia next week. And Irkutsk-Chita is part of my route; I'll be doing it twice. And I plan to wild camp all the way (occassional Hostel, Truckstop or B&B). It's hard not to let this sort of thing put you off wild camping. If anyone finds out more please share, there might be lessons we can all learn from this.

Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this world. He lives on in the thoughts and deeds of those he loved. As much as we would like to believe that when we die we live again, that some thinking, feeling, remembering part of us will continue. But as comforting as this would be, its far better, it seems to me, to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides.

I shall certainly be thinking of him.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794094

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...st/459632.html

[Tony P]

Originally Posted by stephen.stallebrass

Tony: Have you heard about this?

Yes. It was on the TV a month or so ago.

At least he was living his dream and presumably totally happy until the final minute or so.

The poor guy's error was to camp on a track between the main road and a village.

Sadly, in remote areas of RUS there are many alcoholic drunks roaming around trying to find their way home or to the next supply of alcohol. That, plus the perception that all foreigners are rich, brings about irrational impulse acts.

Camp out of sight of roads is the advice I often give, particularly if alone. By that I don't necessarily mean traffic roads but paths or other routes between them and nearby habitated villages.

And remember, tragic and alarming though this is, Russia is a big, big place, travelled by many, many thousands of people each year. Such events are statistically rare - possibly more rare than in other, more 'civilised', countries.

But 5hit happens - anywhere.

[Chris of Japan]

Originally Posted by stephen.stallebrass

Tony:

Have you heard about this?

ITAR-TASS : Japanese motor-cyclist killed in Zabaikalye

[/url]

It is covered in a separate thread:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ood-news-64424

Lets keep the discussion there instead of bringing it up in other threads about Russia...