Bus owners fined for extra charge

JAGATSINGHPUR: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum on Thursday imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on two private bus owners for collecting exorbitant fare from the passengers.Sources said in 2014, Gobinda Ojha of Redhua village under Raghunathpur police limits had gone to Cuttack from Tarapur in a private passenger bus on Cuttack - Paradip State Highway route and returned to Raghunathpur in another passenger bus. Both the conductors of the buses had charged Rs 30 towards travel fare, while the actual cost is Rs 23.56 for 38-km journey at the rate of 62 paise per km. When passenger Ojha asked the conductors regarding collection of excess fare, they allegedly abused him.

Harried Ojha later filed a case against the Regional Transport Officers of Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack, State Transport Authority and owners of the buses Swagatika Nayak and Kishore Chandra Biswal of Cuttack at the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in 2015 seeking action against them for illegal collection of bus fare.

Adjudicating the case on Thursday, forum imposed fine of Rs 30,000 on the owners jointly and directed them to pay the amount to the complainant within a month. The forum has also asked the owners to pay Rs 5,000 towards litigation cost to Ojha.