Woman sues KSRTC for not halting at stop, wins ₹8,000

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Woman sues KSRTC for not halting at stop, wins ₹8,000

Petlee.Peter@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:03.09.2021

A woman passenger took Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to consumer court after the bus she boarded for Tumakuru from Bengaluru didn’t halt at the stop of her choice and dropped her 400 metres away. The utility has been ordered to pay her a compensation of Rs 8,010 for the inconvenience caused.

On the morning of October 24, 2018, Vijaya Bai L, 33, a resident of Urdigere Hobli in Tumakuru, took a KSRTC bus from Bengaluru to Tumakuru to visit her sister’s residence. Despite informing the conductor and driver that she wanted to get off at the HMT bus stop in Tumakuru, the driver failed to stop the vehicle. Following a plea by Vijaya, the bus slowed down and halted 400 metres away from the spot. On disembarking, she found the area was barricaded and she couldn’t cross over to the other side of the road. She was forced to take two autorickshaws by paying Rs 10 and Rs 50, respectively, to reach her destination.

Following the unpleasant experience, Vijaya called the KSRTC helpline for relief but in vain. Finally, she approached the Tumakuru District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission with a complaint against KSRTC for deficiency of service. The consumer court on July 29, 2019 ordered Tumakuru divisional controller of KSRTC to refund Rs 10 towards Vijaya’s auto fare and pay compensation of Rs 10,000 and litigation cost of Rs 5,000 along with interest.

However, KSRTC appealed against the verdict before Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Bengaluru and litigation began. The corporation’s attorney said the bus Vijaya travelled on was a nonstop passenger with limited stops and, therefore, the request that she be allowed to get off the vehicle in the middle was unjust.

But judges of the state forum stated that KSRTC hadn’t provided the bus driver’s version and it is to be noted that the conductor had issued a ticket for HMT bus stop to Vijaya Bai. Moreover, with no consideration for a woman passenger, the driver and conductor dropped her in the middle of the road and she had trouble finding her way to her destination.

However, considering the views of KSRTC, the judges in a verdict on July 28, 2021, reduced the compensation amount to Rs 5,000 and the litigation amount to Rs 3,000, but ordered that Rs 10 will have to be paid to the woman passenger within 60 days of the order.

The KSRTC attorney said the bus Vijaya travelled on was a non-stop passenger service with limited stops. But the state consumer forum observed that with no consideration for a woman passenger, the driver and conductor dropped her in the middle of the road and she had trouble finding her way to her destination