The Una District Consumer Commission has ordered the Himachal Road Transport Corporation to pay Rs 50,029 to a passenger after a conductor overcharged him by Rs 29 on a return bus journey between Haridwar and Una in August 2024.
The panel ruled that the incident constituted a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice. The September 7 order directed HRTC to refund the excess fare along with Rs 30,000 as compensation for mental tension and harassment, and Rs 20,000 toward litigation expenses, to be paid within 30 days.
According to the complaint filed by advocate Sunil Verma, the passenger boarded an HRTC bus from Una to Haridwar on August 13, 2024, paying a fare of Rs 488 for the 361-kilometer journey. When taking a return bus from Haridwar to Una the following day, the passenger was charged Rs 517 for the identical distance. Although the passenger questioned the discrepancy, the conductor refused to accept a lower amount.
Transport Corporation Defense Rejected
Appearing for HRTC, advocate Kulbir Singh argued that a higher toll of Rs 55 was incorporated into the August 14 fare because previous charges had not been updated. Counsel submitted that conductors collected the increased amount based on verbal directives from authorities, although the change had not yet been updated in ticketing machines.
The commission, comprising President D R Thakur and members Minakshi Rana and Anoop Kumar, rejected the defense after finding that the corporation failed to produce any official chart, record, or notification from the National Highway Authority of India demonstrating that tolls had increased to Rs 55 by August 14, 2024.
Investigators further noted that documentation relied upon by HRTC applied specifically to super luxury buses, whereas the complainant traveled in an ordinary bus. Additionally, an RTI response revealed an official 2024 fare of Rs 472 for the route, underscoring inconsistencies in the corporation’s ticketing records.
The commission concluded that HRTC failed to prove the increased fee had been authorized by a competent authority, upholding the complaint and emphasizing that transport operators cannot levy additional charges without proper approval and documentation.
