THE CONSUMER COURT FINES TRANSPORT OFFICIALS FOR NEGLIGENT SERVICE
Posted on: 27/Sep/2010 1:16:01 AM
The Cuddalore consumer court here has levied a fine of Rs 2,000 on State Transport Corporation officials for deficiency in service. A retired employee of the judicial department S. Ramamurthy had filed a case in the District Consumer Redressal Forum here stating that when he travelled in the State Transport Corporation bus from Cuddalore to Puducherry on November 30, it was raining heavily; since there was no windscreen near his seat, Mr Ramamurthy asked the conductor to provide him another seat but the latter refused to oblige.
As a result the passenger got fully drenched on account of which he suffered a physical ailment.
On behalf of the passenger, the case was filed in the court by M. Nizamudeen, general secretary of the Consumer Protection Council.
In his verdict the consumer court judge P. Ganesan observed that during the examination, the conductor made contradictory statements.
The judge concluded that the bus was not properly maintained and it was the duty of the officials to check, before the vehicle left the depot, whether all the windscreens were intact and the vehicle was roadworthy.
Hence, the judge imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 (Rs 1,000 to be paid to Mr. Ramamurthy for the mental agony suffered by him and Rs 1,000 towards court expenses) on the Managing Director and the Cuddalore branch manager of the transport corporation.
