A response to a Right to Information (RTI) Act query has revealed that the TNSTC in the Nilgiris has been pulled up more than 50 times since March of 2017 by the Road Transport Office for charging “Express” bus fares on routes from the Nilgiris to other districts.
The response to the RTI application, filed by the Coimbatore Consumer Cause and passed onto the Coonoor Consumer Protection Association, shows that in 2017, a total of 18 buses operated within the Nilgiris were fined ₹ 1.08 lakh, while between May of 2017 and March of 2018, a total of 15 buses, plying 30 routes between the Nilgiris and other districts, were found to have violated rules relating to charging bus fares. The TNSTC was fined more than ₹ 22,500.
S. Manogaran, President of the Coonoor Consumer Protection Association, explained that buses which were operated a cumulative distance of less than 80 km. from the commencement of the journey till its completion, could not charge “Express” bus fares, which are significantly higher than the normal rates. “Moreover, the buses operated from the Nilgiris to other districts, exceeding the stipulated 80 km. ceiling, stop at most bus stops along the way, and so cannot charge the extra fare,” he said.
Officials from the Road Transport Office said that more than 13 buses have been found to be charging excessive bus fares in March of this year alone, and have been fined.
“The fact that the TNSTC refuses to comply with orders passed by the Madras High Court is extremely unfortunate. As the TNSTC is already said to be making losses, fines it incurs for breaking rules such as excessive ticket fare collection will entail further losses,” said Mr. Manogaran, adding that passengers are being unfairly fleeced by the state transport service. “For instance, from the RTI response, you can see that the TNSTC was charging ₹ 248 for a ticket between Ooty and Madurai for a ticket that should have only cost ₹ 177,” he added.
The Coonoor Consumer Protection Association has also called for the fine amounts to be paid to the Road Transport Office by the officials who passed the orders for excess fares to be collected.
When contacted, TNSTC officials in the Nilgiris said that since the orders were passed by the High Court, they have revised fares to ensure that they comply with the orders, adding that they had also put up signs on the buses specifying that the tickets were being charged as per “regular” route standards.