KARACHI: Considering the high rate of motorbike accidents and the road safety situation in the country, the widely popular ride-hailing service, Bykea, is now offering insurance coverage to all its customers if they meet any unfortunate road accident while using its service.
According to research, bikes are five times more likely to meet accidents than a normal four-wheel vehicle, making the rider and the passenger vulnerable to life-threatening injuries. The insurance offered by Bykea in partnership with the State Life of Pakistan covers hospital charges, injury-treatment charges, and compensates the bereaved families in case of human lives lost.
The Bykea users now have the option to pay a nominal amount on each bike taxi trip to get themselves an insurance cover of PKR 25,000 for hospitalization and injuries. In case, the accident results in a tragic death or causes permanent disability to the user, his/her next of kin will be eligible to receive PKR 400,000 in lieu of the life insurance cover.
Rafiq Malik, Chief Operating Officer, Bykea, said, “We are constantly trying to provide access to services leveraging technology for the middle class in Pakistan. We feel our partnership with State Life of Pakistan is a first in offering coverage to the most vulnerable on the roads in Pakistan and we hope that in the odd instances of road accidents, our customers are covered when traveling using our platform.”
Shoaib Javed Hussain, Chairperson, State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan at the occasion said, “This is truly a first in Pakistan of digital and protection innovation, providing social protection to working Pakistanis at a nominal price. State Life’s endeavor and vision is to transform health, life, and financial protection in Pakistan; to enable Pakistanis to achieve life goals with the confidence that State Life protects them and their families. This is the first and important step in achieving that vision through true product and tech innovation.”
“As someone who is the sole breadwinner of his family and barely manages to make ends meet, I am thankful to Bykea for introducing the customers’ protection. God forbid, if something happens to me, at least I know my family will be taken care of,” says 37-year-old Shabbir Ahmed, a resident of Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
While Bykea, along with the city administration, has been encouraging the use of a helmet for motorbike drivers and pillion riders, very few citizens have any kind of insurance cover in the event of a mishap on the road. With this optional feature on the trip, the customers can rest easy as they get the insurance cover for all sorts of injuries sustained; do not have to pay for hospitalization; and do not have to worry about their family’s well-being in case of permanent disability or demise. The insurance cover feature is available on both Android and iOS, and users can choose to opt-in for it on bike taxi (Savari) rides with a single click while booking the rides.