BENGALURU: A consumer forum in the city has ordered the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to pay Rs 10,000 to a commuter for deficiency in service.
The court has ordered the payment to J Kiran Kumar (commuter), a resident of Medahalli Extension of Virgonagar in the city. It includes Rs 5,000 as compensation for the mental agony caused and an equal sum towards litigation cost.
“As stated by the complainant, if a passenger travels without ticket, BMTC imposes fine. In the same manner, when the BMTC/staff commits negligence, the transport corporation should compensate the passenger,” the forum said. The order, dated December 2, was passed by the forum comprising president T Shobhadevi and V Anuradha.
According to the complaint, Kiran had boarded a BMTC bus (Route No.317, KR Market to Hosakote, Bus No.KA-01, FA-1071) at 6.30 am to appear for an examination at Medahalli conducted by the Staff Selection
Commission for selection of Sub-Inspector post, on June 22, 2014. He requested the conductor B Razaak, to issue a BMTC day pass. Instead of issuing the pass for Sunday, the conductor had issued him a pass for Saturday for Rs 70. When Kumar insisted for a Sunday pass, Razaak wrote as ‘Bhanuvara’ (Sunday) on Saturday’s pass and asked him to travel with that pass.
After reaching Majestic, Kumar had a doubt over the pass issued and enquired with the BMTC office. He was shocked to hear that the pass was not valid. Then Kumar met his father and took money from him to buy a new pass. But he was totally disturbed and could not write his exam properly, besides losing money, he stated in his complaint.
He received a mail on July 10, 2014, informing him that disciplinary action was initiated against the conductor and to collect the pass amount from the depot.