Coimbatore private bus company 'Menaka Transport' charges its passengers Rs.1 more than the usual fixed fare from Coimbatore railway station to Singanallur.
Coimbatore:Following a complaint lodged by a private bus passenger at the Consumer Court on the charges of alleged overcharging, the Court ordered the private bus company 'Menaka' to pay Rs.10,000 compensation to the passenger who had to pay Rs. 1 more than the usual fixed fare from Coimbatore railway station to Singanallur.
Chinraj (26) hails from Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district. On December 20, 2014, Chinraj took a private bus called 'Menaka Transport' from Coimbatore railway station to Singanallur. He had to pay Rs. 5 for the ride. Greatly puzzled, Chinraj asked the conductor, "On other buses, the usual fare is Rs. 4, why do you charge an extra rupee?" To that, the bus conductor had reportedly responded by saying, “We have raised the ticket price and ever since we charge only Rs.5." On a later date, Chinraj had again travelled on the same bus from Singanallur to the Coimbatore Government Hospital on January 24, 2015 and was again charged Rs. 5 instead of Rs. 4.
Immediately, Chinraj wrote a letter to the private bus company urging them to refund the extra fare they had received and questioned them to state the reason for the collection of the extra fare amount. However, the company did not respond to his requests. Chinraj then filed a case in the Coimbatore District Consumer Court and demanded a compensation of Rs. 3 for the three times that the private bus company had charged him extra and Rs. 1 lakh for mental distress.
Judge Thangavelu, who heard the case stated that there was a lack of service in the private bus company. He ruled that Chinraj should be paid Rs. 10,000 as compensation, Rs. 3 for the additional ticket fare collected from him, and Rs. 3,000 for covering his legal costs within the time frame of two months.
Chinraj (26) hails from Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district. On December 20, 2014, Chinraj took a private bus called 'Menaka Transport' from Coimbatore railway station to Singanallur. He had to pay Rs. 5 for the ride. Greatly puzzled, Chinraj asked the conductor, "On other buses, the usual fare is Rs. 4, why do you charge an extra rupee?" To that, the bus conductor had reportedly responded by saying, “We have raised the ticket price and ever since we charge only Rs.5." On a later date, Chinraj had again travelled on the same bus from Singanallur to the Coimbatore Government Hospital on January 24, 2015 and was again charged Rs. 5 instead of Rs. 4.
Immediately, Chinraj wrote a letter to the private bus company urging them to refund the extra fare they had received and questioned them to state the reason for the collection of the extra fare amount. However, the company did not respond to his requests. Chinraj then filed a case in the Coimbatore District Consumer Court and demanded a compensation of Rs. 3 for the three times that the private bus company had charged him extra and Rs. 1 lakh for mental distress.
Judge Thangavelu, who heard the case stated that there was a lack of service in the private bus company. He ruled that Chinraj should be paid Rs. 10,000 as compensation, Rs. 3 for the additional ticket fare collected from him, and Rs. 3,000 for covering his legal costs within the time frame of two months.