APSRTC Vs. V C REDDAPPA REDDY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE opposite parties are the appellants.

(2.) AGGRIEVED by the order of the District Forum, Chittoor in CD No. 79 of 2004 dated 18.11.2004, the present appeal has been filed under Section 15 of the C.P. Act.

(3.) THE opposite party Road Transport Corporation has introduced a scheme APSRTC Jubilee Hi -Tech ticket for Rs. 675 to its passengers to travel anywhere within Andhra Pradesh State in its all types of services except AC and AC sleeper coach buses for a period of seven days. Attracted by the aforementioned scheme the complainants have purchased two tickets bearing Nos. 15672 and 15673 on 3.10.2003 which are valid up to 24th hour of 9.10.2003 to have their trip to Hyderabad, Basara and Vijayawada. The complainants started their journey on the evening of 3.10.2003 from Chittoor to Hyderabad. From Hyderabad they went to Basara through Nizamabad on 6.10.2003 morning and returned on the same day to Hyderabad. After that the complainants have started their journey to Vijayawada on the morning of 8.10.2003 through No. 1050 service bearing No. 8875 of Gannavaram Depot and when the said bus reached Jaggaiahpeta, the driver has taken the bus to the depot stating that there is trouble and after 1 hour it was informed to the passengers that the bus could not be repaired and another semi -luxury bus of Jaggaiahpeta Depot was arranged. The said bus reached Vijayawada two hours late. On account of the aforementioned delay they could not visit all the places at Vijayawada and hence they postponed their journey to next day to go to Chittoor. On 9.10.2003 they reached Pandit Nehru Bus Station, Vijayawada at about 10.10 a.m. to return to Chittoor and presented their tickets in the reservation counter No. 3 to reserve seats in Vijayawada -Bangalore Hi -tech Bus Service scheduled at 12 noon and when the clerk is about to give the reservation the concerned supervisor instructed him not to issue the reservation. When they approached the Supervisor for inquiry he directed the complainants to approach the third opposite party who is working as Assistant Manager (Traffic) in the said bus station. When they approached the third opposite party for clarification he gave evasive reply and that the second opposite party has given instructions to them not to allow the Jubilee Hi -tech ticket holders in the said service as it is an inter -State service. This objection is untenable since the complainant have asked reservation up to Chittoor only and moreover the instructions in the said Jubilee Hi -tech ticket only bars journey outside the State of A.P. and in AC and AC sleeper coach services only. The said service is only Hi -tech service bearing Bus No. AP11 Z 1093. In spite of several requests made by the complainants the third opposite party has not permitted the complainants to board the bus and ill -treated them. The complainants stated that there is no other Hi -Tech service at that time to reach Chittoor or Tirupati. Since there is no other bus the complainants have get the seats in Vijayawada -Kuppam Super Express bus service scheduled at 1.00 p.m. up to Chittoor. It is their case that the driver of Kuppam bus has issued ticket upto Tirupati only as by the time reaching Tirupati the 24th hour of 9.10.2003 will be completed and the tickets are valid up to that time only. Hence it necessitated the complainants to purchase tickets from Tirupati to Chittoor by spending an amount of Rs. 60.