Bus passenger gets ₹10k, three years after being overcharged
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Coimbatore: In March 2015, K Kathirmathiyon, a city-based consumer activist, was travelling from Vadavalli to the railway station in a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus. The conductor charged him ₹8, which was ₹3 more than the fixed fare, claiming that the fare was high as it was an express bus. But, it took the same time as a normal bus to reach the destination.
“When I asked the conductor about the delay, I was not given a proper reply,” Kathirmathiyon said. When he was again charged the high fare a month later on the same bus, he took up the issue with the regional transport office (RTO). “An official clarified that it was not an express service and the fare was only ₹5. However, TNSTC officials maintained that the bus was an express,” he told TOI.
In June 2015, Kathirmathiyon filed a case against TNSTC and the regional transport officer in the district consumer disputes redressal forum. After 12 proceedings, the forum recently ordered TNSTC to pay him the extra ₹6 that was charged from him for the two trips. It also ordered TNSTC to pay him ₹10,000 as compensation.
As per Kathirmathiyon’s request, the compensation amount will be directed to the chief minister’s relief fund. “The forum has also ordered TNSTC to furnish data for the collection of excess fare in the bus. It also directed the RTO to take action against TNSTC and to file action taken report to the forum within two months, failing which, the RTO, should remit ₹10,000 to the chief minister’s relief fund,” he said.
TNSTC has been cheating passengers by charging ‘express fares’ for ordinary buses, said Kathirmathiyon. “This directly affects common people, who depend on the public transport system,” he said. Kathirmathiyon, who runs the Coimbatore Consumer Cause, a consumer rights organisation, said the consumer disputes redressal forum has also marked a copy of the order to the chief secretary and transport commissioner of the state. “This shows that the authorities are serious about resolving the issue. But, if there is no concrete action, we have no option but to file as many cases as we can,” he added.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Coimbatore: In March 2015, K Kathirmathiyon, a city-based consumer activist, was travelling from Vadavalli to the railway station in a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus. The conductor charged him ₹8, which was ₹3 more than the fixed fare, claiming that the fare was high as it was an express bus. But, it took the same time as a normal bus to reach the destination.
“When I asked the conductor about the delay, I was not given a proper reply,” Kathirmathiyon said. When he was again charged the high fare a month later on the same bus, he took up the issue with the regional transport office (RTO). “An official clarified that it was not an express service and the fare was only ₹5. However, TNSTC officials maintained that the bus was an express,” he told TOI.
In June 2015, Kathirmathiyon filed a case against TNSTC and the regional transport officer in the district consumer disputes redressal forum. After 12 proceedings, the forum recently ordered TNSTC to pay him the extra ₹6 that was charged from him for the two trips. It also ordered TNSTC to pay him ₹10,000 as compensation.
As per Kathirmathiyon’s request, the compensation amount will be directed to the chief minister’s relief fund. “The forum has also ordered TNSTC to furnish data for the collection of excess fare in the bus. It also directed the RTO to take action against TNSTC and to file action taken report to the forum within two months, failing which, the RTO, should remit ₹10,000 to the chief minister’s relief fund,” he said.
TNSTC has been cheating passengers by charging ‘express fares’ for ordinary buses, said Kathirmathiyon. “This directly affects common people, who depend on the public transport system,” he said. Kathirmathiyon, who runs the Coimbatore Consumer Cause, a consumer rights organisation, said the consumer disputes redressal forum has also marked a copy of the order to the chief secretary and transport commissioner of the state. “This shows that the authorities are serious about resolving the issue. But, if there is no concrete action, we have no option but to file as many cases as we can,” he added.
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