KSRTC Fined ₹30,000 For Denying Seat, Failing To Drop Ailing Passenger

A district consumer commission has fined the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) ₹30,000 for deficiency in service after an ailing passenger was denied a seat and not dropped at his designated stop , according to an official statement.

The order came on a complaint filed by Mohammed Zainudheen Kormath , a native of Thottassheriyara, who had boarded a KSRTC bus from Amballur in Thrissur to Kolappuram in Malappuram.

According to the statement, the complainant found no vacant seats upon boarding the bus. After informing the conductor about his medical condition and inability to stand for long, he was reportedly assured that a seat would become available from Thrissur. He then purchased a ticket to Kolappuram.

At Thrissur, when some seats were vacated, Kormath occupied one. However, another passenger later claimed the seat was reserved , following which the conductor asked him to vacate it. With no alternative seating available, he was compelled to continue the journey standing despite his condition .

The commission also noted that the passenger was not dropped at his intended stop, Kakkad . Instead, the bus proceeded along the national highway without entering the service road, forcing him to alight at Kooriyad, causing additional inconvenience.

While such situations are not uncommon in crowded public transport , particularly for passengers travelling from rural areas to cities, the commission observed that the failure to inform about reserved seating and to ensure his drop at the designated stop constituted a lapse in service.

The Malappuram District Consumer Commission, comprising president K. Mohandas and members Preethi Sivaraman and C.V. Muhammed Ismail directed KSRTC to pay ₹25,000 as compensation and ₹5,000 towards litigation costs within 45 days. Failing this, an interest of nine per cent will be applicable, the statement added.