RIYADH – Legal experts stressed that according to international and local laws, it is compulsory for the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) to treat and compensate the injured passengers of the Riyadh-Dammam passenger train that derailed Wednesday and resulted in different injuries to over 35 passengers, a local daily reported Friday. They said the SRO must bear all other damages including damage to luggage and the passengers' personal effects on board its trains. This is in the case of the SRO not having covered its trains with comprehensive insurance, which insures passengers against any harm that may occur due to an accident. Ali Al-Assaf, Director of the Legal Administration at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (General Organization) in Riyadh and Jeddah, said the principle of compensation for passengers in any public transport company all over the world is compulsory. “It is existent in most constitutions, laws and international norms for any harm to any passenger on a means of public transport, to others or to installations. Therefore, the authorities concerned that have caused the accident, like the SRO, must bear the treatment expenses for the injured and compensate them for the losses they incurred,” he said. Meanwhile, Fahd Al-Enizi, member of the Economic Committee in the Shoura Council, said, “No passenger should in any way bear any losses, debts, or material costs, particularly treatment costs, or any other kind of costs due to this accident.” Al-Enizi further said the Saudi Railways Organization should bear all treatment expenses, harms and damages the passengers sustained. “If the SRO has insured its trains, then the insurance company must bear the cost of all the harms and damages to the passengers, as train accidents are considered to be traffic accidents. Therefore, it is binding on the SRO to treat the injured passengers under the comprehensive insurance policy.” On compensation to the passengers for the ticket value, Al-Enizi said this measure is binding and understood because the purpose for obtaining tickets has not been achieved, that is, to reach their destination safely. — SG
