Bengaluru man who was denied Rs 1 change by bus conductor gets Rs 2,000 relief from consumer court

A passenger had complained that after taking a ride on a bus in Bengaluru, he was not given change by the bus conductor. He also accused the conductor of rude behaviour

A consumer court in Bengaluru has directed the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to pay Rs 2,000 compensation to a man who was refused change of Rs 1 for a bus ride.

Ramesh Naik who was refused the change had moved the Bengaluru Urban Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.

In 2019, Ramesh Naik had travelled on a BMTC bus during which the conductor issued a ticket for Rs 29. Naik paid the bus conductor Rs 30, for which the change of Rs 1 was not returned.

Naik, aggrieved by the actions of the bus conductor moved the consumer court seeking compensation of Rs 15,000, reports said.

The court orders took note of the fact that the bus conductor behaved rudely with Naik and shouted at him. "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 Rs 1 along with other reliefs," the court order stated.

After taking into consideration, the grievance by Ramesh Naik, the Bengaluru Urban Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission directed the BMTC to pay partial relief of Rs 2,000 along with Rs 1,000 towards court fees.

The court also ordered BMTCC to pay the amount within 45 days, failing which an interest rate of Rs 6,000 per annum would be applicable.

The BMTC however filed a counter-affidavit stating that this was a trivial issue. The BMTC told the court that there was no deficiency in service on its part and hence the complaint should be dismissed. Ramesh Naik however filed a chief examination affidavit in the 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 consumer court observed.

What are consumer courts:

Consumer court also known as consumer dispute redressal forums are special courts which handle disputes between consumers and sellers. These courts were established in 1986 under the Consumer Protection Act. They are intended at providing consumers with a quick and cost-effective means of redressal for grievances related to faulty or deficient services.

Consumers can file complaints with the appropriate consumer court, depending on the value of the claim, location of the seller etc. These courts have the power to issue orders for compensation, refunds and other forms of relief.