PANJIM: The All Goa Private Bus Owners’ Association (AGPBOA) has welcomed the move of insurance companies to extend the scheme given to its members. AGPBOA has also called on the government to exempt them from road and transport tax for six months.

Addressing media persons, AGPBOA President Sudip Tamhankar said it is out of their own efforts that the insurance scheme was extended and pointed out that they had done all the paperwork and had written to companies like New India.

They criticised the State government for not fulfilling any promises and pointed out that they had even shown copies of policy decisions taken by the Maharashtra government to try and get the State Transport Department to implement similar policies, but in vain.

They said the insurance companies agreed to their demand on the grounds that their buses were not in use during the lockdown period.

AGPBOA reiterated their other long-standing demands to the State government like exemption of road and passenger tax by six months.