By IANS,
New Delhi : A consumer rights panel has criticised Indian Airlines for not providing proper medical aid and transportation facilities at the airport and directed the airlines to compensate Rs.25,000 to a passenger who injured his hand while in the airport bus.
The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission headed by Justice J.D. Kapoor directed Indian Airlines to compensate a consumer for the pain and suffering caused after two of his fingers got fractured due to the rash and negligent driving of the airline bus ferrying passengers from the aircraft to the arrival terminal at Delhi airport.
Alok Kumar Sinha, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, was travelling from Varanasi to Delhi in Indian Airlines in 2005. After alighting from the craft, Sinha boarded a coach provided by the airline to go to the terminal building. The coach was very crowded and Sinha had to travel standing.
According to Sinha, the coach driver was driving in a rash and negligent manner and suddenly applied the brakes, making him lose his balance and fall. Other passengers fell over him due to which he suffered injuries to his face and two fingers of his right hand got fractured.
Sinha alleged that he was not provided proper medical aid at the airport and just administered a pain killer. When the pain persisted he consulted a doctor who diagnosed it as fracture. He then sued the airlines.
The consumer rights panel also asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to provide adequate medical facilities at the airport following Sinha’s case.
Justice Kapoor in his direction to AAI, said: “What is expected from AAI is to provide immediate service to whoever needs emergency treatment, like providing ambulance and immediate first aid. To run a hospital at the airport may not be possible but the airport authority may take into consideration such problems, particularly emergency cases, in view of the expansion of the airport and the large number of passengers having switched over to travel by air.”