Consumer rights of passengers ignored

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The private luxury buses running inter-state services often leave passengers high and dry by abrupt changes in routes, cancellation of the trip and even compromising the safety of passengers.

A Chennai-based software engineer recently had a harrowing experience when the bus he booked from Kottayam for Chennai changed its normal route and accommodated a group of suspected gangsters leading to a ruckus in the moving bus.

The gangsters allegedly threw out a passenger when he objected to their obnoxious conduct. The young techie got so scared of the drama happening in front of him that he never realised that he had peed in his pants until one of the gangsters lay on his lap to take forty winks after the ordeal.

“Unfortunately, there were only a handful of passengers in the bus when it started from Kottayam which itself gave me a scare. After a while, the conductor informed us that they were  taking a deviation and  going via Ernakulam.

There was no way that I could object and when the bus reached Ernakulam,  a group of hefty men got into the bus. After a while they started drinking inside the bus,” the techie told  DC under condition of anonymity.

The young person, who is yet to come to terms with the drama that unfolded before his eyes, also recalled that there was some altercation which resulted in the gangsters taking their country swords and machete.

In the melee, his hand was injured as the gangsters numbering close to a dozen fought with each other in the bus. Ironically, the bus driver and the conductor, though  scared, behaved as if nothing had happened. Sources told DC that the bus operators were aware of harbouring the gangsters and had actually helped them  get away to Chennai.

According to R. Sreelekha, transport commissioner, this is a clear case which  the police have to investigate. The passengers also have to   give a complaint  to her.

“This is a gross violation from the bus operators’ side as they had taken a deviation from the route to carry these gangsters to safety. If there is complaint on the bus operators not keeping the slotted time and if there are issues with the bus, the passengers  can lodge a complaint with me,” said Sreelekha.

However, a top Kerala State Transport Development Corporation official said that such a ghastly incident would never have happened in a public transport bus, which shows the safety and efficacy of their operations.

Though another passenger, Subramanian, a Kochi-based consultant, did not have such a scary experience to relate, he told DC that he was forced to take a fresh ticket in another bus as the promised bus never turned up.

He had booked an online ticket to Kozhikode from Kochi a couple of months ago. The bus service starts  from an area close to the Ernakulam South railway station.

“I was advised to contact a local booking centre for boarding the bus starting at 11 p.m. When I reached the place, the said booking counter was closed and there was no sign of the promised bus. With great difficulty, I managed to get the telephone number of the local booking agent and he told me to reach Vytilla junction as it was the boarding point for the bus.

I took an autorickshaw to Vytilla junction and waited till 12 in the night with the hope of getting the promised bus,” said the unlucky passenger.

Finally, Subramanian gave up and boarded another bus paying the full charges. After reaching Kozhikode, he sent a mail to the online booking agency and is yet to get a reply.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t pursue  a proper legal action against the erring bus operator as he got busy with his extended trips to Mumbai and then to New Delhi.

Arun Sreepadam, a media professional based in Bengaluru, who frequently travels to his home town in Changanassery,  told DC that the fluctuating rates of the inter-state private buses had  to be curtailed somehow.

“Recently, the rates were increased exorbitantly and these days I would prefer to come to Kerala either by car or by flight. If I reserve flight tickets in advance, I can actually land at Nedumbassery airport for a mere Rs 900.

Another issue  is that most of the bus operators have a tie-up with a small-scale restaurant which too charges high for poor quality food,”  said Arun.

The transport official also added that as per the Motor Vehicles Department Act of 1988, a contract carriage means a motor vehicle which carries a passenger(s) for hire or reward and is engaged under a contract.

He told DC that only stage carriers were given permit by the government and the private long distance bus operators were not allowed to undertake daily trips to neighbouring states.

“Most of these private buses  are currently operating as goods carriers. It is mentioned in the MVD Act that a bus which is being used for passengers should not be allowed to carry goods as they are violating tax laws as well.

Hawala money, smuggling of goods and even nefarious elements are being given an easy passage. Unfortunately, the government is keeping silent on this issue as it was evident that former transport commissioner Rishiraj Singh was shunted out after he made some leeway against the private bus operators’ lobby,”  said  the transport official.