The Chandigarh district consumer disputes redressal commission has directed redBus and bus operator Kalpana Travels Pvt Ltd to pay ₹8,700 to television and web-series actor Abhinandan Jindal after a delayed bus caused him to miss a connecting train and a scheduled shoot.
Presided over by Pawanjit Singh, with member Suresh Kumar Sardana, the commission held that the bus operator’s failure to arrive at the scheduled time amounted to deficiency in service.
Jindal, who has 12 years of experience in the industry, had booked a ₹1,680 bus ticket through redBus on December 12, 2024, to travel from Abu Road in Rajasthan to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He was scheduled to take a connecting train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai at 2.05am on December 13 to attend a shoot with Balaji Telefilms.
The bus was scheduled to reach the boarding point at 8.15pm but did not arrive on time, according to Jindal’s complaint. He said he waited at the boarding point without receiving clear information about the delay and alleged that a representative of the operator behaved rudely with him.
As the train departure approached, Jindal hired a private taxi to Ahmedabad for ₹3,700. He still missed the train by around 20 minutes and had to take another bus to Mumbai, eventually missing his scheduled shoot.
{{/usCountry}}As the train departure approached, Jindal hired a private taxi to Ahmedabad for ₹3,700. He still missed the train by around 20 minutes and had to take another bus to Mumbai, eventually missing his scheduled shoot.
{{/usCountry}}RedBus argued that it was only a technology platform connecting passengers with bus operators and was not responsible for the bus service. It also claimed that the delay was only around 30 minutes. The commission, however, noted that no evidence had been produced to substantiate these claims.
The commission directed redBus and Kalpana Travels to jointly and severally pay ₹3,700 towards the ticket refund and differential taxi expense, with simple interest at 9% per annum from December 12, 2024.
It also awarded ₹5,000 as consolidated compensation for mental agony, harassment and litigation expenses, taking the total award to ₹8,700, apart from interest.
The parties have been given 45 days to comply. In case of non-compliance, penal interest at 12% per annum will apply to the awarded amounts.