In 2019, a man named Ramesh Naik travelled on a BMTC bus from Shantinagar to Majestic bus depot, during which the conductor issued a ticket for Rs 29. The complainant paid Rs 30, for which the change was not returned. Miffed by this, he approached the district consumer court seeking compensation of Rs 15,000. Now, a Bengaluru court has ordered the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to pay Rs 2,000 compensation to the man. The court also ordered BMTC to pay Rs 1,000 towards the complainant’s legal fee.
According to the court order, the conductor of the bus “behaved rudely” and shouted at Ramesh. “When the matter was brought to the higher office of the BTCTC, the employee did not refund the change of Rs 1. Aggrieved by the BMTC's act and action, the complainant was forced to file the present complaint seeking the refund of Re 1 along with other reliefs,” the order stated. However, the BMTC filed a counter-affidavit saying that it was a trivial issue. It denied the allegation of deficiency in service and sought the complaint to be dismissed. However, Ramesh filed a chief examination affidavit, in light of which the compensation was ordered.
“The dispute appears to be trivial in nature since the complainant took the issue as a matter of right before the commission. It needs to be appreciated and recognised as a matter of right of a consumer. In such an event the complainant is entitled for the refund of relief,” the court said.
While the complainant sought compensation of Rs 15,000, the court ordered the BMTC to pay partial relief of Rs 2,000 along with Rs 1,000 for court fees. The BMTC has been ordered to pay the amount within 45 days of the order, failing which an interest rate of Rs 6,000 per annum may apply.