The Nalgonda District Consumer Forum on Monday ruled in favour of a passenger, who was charged ₹20 excess than the fixed fare, and directed the Depot Manager of Nalgonda region, TSRTC, to pay compensation.
The aggrieved passenger, Pasunuru Rambabu, a resident of Nalgonda, should be paid a compensation of ₹7, 020, towards deficiency of service, costs incurred to pursue the case, and the ₹20, which was the excess fare, the forum ordered.
Mr. Rambabu alleged that he had boarded a Palle Velugu bus in Nalgonda on December 26 to reach Hyderabad and was charged ₹110 instead of the ₹90 regular fare. When he enquired about it with the conductor, he was told the Palle Velugu service was converted to a non-stop service, in the wake of heavy rush as it was festive time combined with long weekend.
The TSRTC argued that “there was no compulsion for passengers, the service was for those interested to travel, and the charges would be collected as non-stop service. Apart from the complainant, there were 47 passengers and no one raised any objection.”
However, the forum found that the depot manager had neither obtained prior approval of the deputy chief traffic manager of the region, to supply buses on 1.5 times of normal fare, nor displayed any notice at the bus station about the enhanced fare.
“The TSRTC utterly failed to render service to passengers and committed unfair trade practice, causing inconvenience to passengers, which amounts to deficiency in service,” the forum noted.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Rambabu, an employee at the Nalgonda Public School and president of Nalgonda consumer organisation, said, “I even conducted a meeting with my fellow passengers during that journey. I asked them, as a common man, why they did not want to question the violation. A few had shared their numbers, but I decided to file the case alone. The judgment came in my favour,” he said.
