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| Photo Credit: H.VIBHU
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ernakulam, Kerala, has imposed a fine on a Bengaluru-based travel operator after a Kochi-Bengaluru bus service encountered repeated breakdowns and an extended stoppage at the Walayar check-post due to alleged tax arrears that threatened to jeopardise the prospects of a job aspirant, ultimately forcing the complainant and her husband to hire a cab at considerable expense to reach Bengaluru in time for an examination.
The commission, comprising president D.B. Binu and members V. Ramachandran and Sreevidhia T.N., recently delivered its verdict on a petition filed by Anil Baby and his wife, Sneha Rose Kurien, of Kakkanad against the proprietor of the Bengaluru-based Sri Vinayaka Travels.
The petitioners had booked tickets for ₹3,174 in May 2023 for a Kochi-Bengaluru trip as Ms. Kurien was to appear for an examination to the post of scientist at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The bus was scheduled to depart Kochi at 9.05 p.m. and reach Bengaluru by 6 a.m., well ahead of the exam’s reporting time of 8.45 a.m.
Mutiple disruptions
However, the journey was disrupted multiple times. The bus first suffered a tyre burst, then had an extended stoppage at the Walayar check-post due to alleged non-payment of vehicle tax arrears and later faced repeated breakdowns before reaching Coimbatore. This forced the petitioners to hire a taxi from Coimbatore to Bengaluru, costing ₹14,000.
Deficiency in service alleged
The complainants alleged that the opposite party’s failure to maintain the vehicle and clear tax dues amounted to a deficiency in service, causing financial loss and mental agony, and sought refund and compensation.
The commission noted that the notice issued to the opposite party in May 2024 had returned unclaimed, and the operator failed to file its written version within the statutory period.
“A passenger transport operator is under a clear duty to provide a roadworthy vehicle and render the service with reasonable care and diligence. Failure to maintain roadworthiness and operational readiness, resulting in inordinate delay and compelling passengers to incur additional expenditure, squarely amounts to deficiency in service under Section 2(11) of the (Consumer Protection) Act, and also reflects negligence in rendering the service,” the commission observed.
Subsequently, the commission directed the opposite party to pay a total of ₹47,174. This included refund of the ticket fare and tax charges, a compensation of ₹25,000 for the hardship suffered, and ₹5,000 towards legal expenses.
Published – February 04, 2026 01:35 pm IST
