Man claims bus conductor ‘chewed’ his ticket, ‘threw’ bag out, awarded Rs 60,000 payout

“Whenever a complaint has been made by a consumer, it is the duty of the 3rd and the 4th opposite parties (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation) to enquire into the same and take action as per law. However no enquiry was conducted by them, which itself is unfair. The allegations against the 1st (conductor) and the 2nd (driver) opposite parties are very serious in nature, and ignoring them or burying them under the carpet is not proper,” the September 2 order read.

Why commission awarded compensation

The complainant said that he had gone to Vellore to purchase medicines for his son. At around 9 pm, he boarded a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus. He alleged that he gave the conductor Rs 500 for a ticket to Perambalur, but was issued a Rs 200 ticket and told that the remaining Rs 300 would be returned at the destination.

The bus stopped at Tiruvannamalai for a tea break. The complainant said that when he returned after having tea, another woman was occupying his seat and another woman had taken the adjacent seat. He alleged that the conductor had allowed them to occupy the seats in return for illegal gratification. When he complained to the time-keeper at the bus stand, the conductor allegedly took his ticket, put it in his mouth, chewed it and spat it out. His bag was also allegedly thrown out of the bus.

The transport corporation denied the allegations, saying tickets were issued through electronic machines and its digital records showed that no ticket had been issued for travel between Vellore and Perambalur on that date. It further stated that there were no independent witnesses to the incidents alleged by him.

The commission said the transport corporation’s officials should have obtained a report from the time-keeper or branch manager to verify the allegation. Instead, the corporation remained silent on the issue and did not even deny the incident in its written version.

It also noted that although affidavits were filed by the conductor and driver, no supporting affidavit or report was obtained from the time-keeper.

“Right to be protected against unscrupulous exploitation of consumers is a basic right enshrined in the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, but in the case on hand, it was overlooked without conducting any enquiry,” the commission said. Holding the regional and zonal manager of the transport corporation liable for deficiency in service, the commission awarded Rs 50,000 compensation to the complainant along with Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs.

Takeaway

Transport authorities must promptly investigate passenger complaints of misconduct by their staff and cannot ignore serious grievances without conducting a proper enquiry.

For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and Union territories (Tamil Nadu: 044-285-92828) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.