Rail and air travel insured, what about bus travel

VIJAJAYWADA: The road accident brings to fore the necessity to introduce insurance for bus travel while booking a ticket.With the number of bus accidents increasing -at least half a dozen major bus accidents were reported in the last one year alone -and travelling by bus involving higher risk, it becomes all the more important to have an insurance cover.
While the Indian Railways and private airlines have already introduced optional travel insurance scheme at the time of booking a ticket, there is no such option for passengers travelling by bus.“The Union or the state government should bring in a piece of legislation that would give the passengers the option of travel insurance while making a booking at a nominal price,“ pointed out Noor Ahmed, general secretary of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Bus and Rail Users' Welfare Association.
It must be pointed out here that more than 40 lakh passengers had opted for the travel insurance by railways within a month of its announcement.
What adds more weight to the need for insurance is the fact that difference in the exgratia announced to the deceased by the Andhra Pradesh government. The Naidu government announced that those deceased who have 'Chandranna Bhima' scheme would be given Rs 5 lakh and those who have not enrolled under the scheme will be provided an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh. Victims, who were non-residents of Andhra Pradesh, would get Rs 2 lakh.
“A life is a life and it is precious. How can there be differ ent ex-gratia for different people when all of them had died in the same accident,“ wondered Ahmed. Speaking to TOI, a senior official from the road transport department said that travel insurance at the time of ticket booking will ensure uniform payments to the affected people. “It is a good idea and we will propose it to the government and see if it can talk to insurance firms. If implemented, it will ensure same compensation to the deceased and injured,“ the official added.