Colombo: Apparently concerned over the sudden spurt in bomb blasts tragetting buses in Sri Lanka, bus operators in the island nation have demanded insurance cover.

Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA), an organisation representing around 15,000 private bus operators, has planned to meet officials demanding registration of all private buses under the Terrorist Act Insurance cover with immediate effect. Private bus owners are not paid damages occurring in terrorist attacks such as bomb blasts and shooting at buses.

The owners said even though the passengers are insured, the vehicles are not insured against terrorist acts as a result of which they incur heavy financial losses. LPBOA president Gamunu Wijewaratne said as a result of constant terrorist attacks and bomb blasts targetting buses, commuters were becoming reluctant to travel in buses.

"Of late the daily income in the private buses across the country had badly come down," he claimed. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has urged the bus operators to reduce overloading in the vehicles as it had been found that LTTE target crowded buses.

At least 12 people were killed and 17 injured on Monday when a bus hit a claymore mine planted by suspected Tamil rebels in a town in North-Central Sri Lanka.

Source : PTI