Kozhikode: A couple’s travel plans to Himalayan tourist destination Manali went awry as a bus plied by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) got delayed! Now, the Permanent Lok Adalat has ordered the state public transporter to pay Rs 51,552 as compensation to the couple from Areekkad in Kozhikode district.
The couple had planned the trip to Manali in Himachal Pradesh in December 2018. For this, they had booked flight tickets from Bengaluru to Delhi. And to reach Bengaluru, they had booked tickets on the KSRTC bus from Kozhikode. The bus, which commenced its journey from Ernakulam, was scheduled to reach Kozhikode by 10pm. However, it was delayed by 1.5 hours.
Moreover, the novice driver lost his way and then, the passengers had to guide him through the right route with the help of Google Maps.
The bus reached Mysore, four hours late. Realising that they would miss their flight, if there was any further delay, the couple got off at Mysore and took a cab to the airport. Still, they missed the flight.
However, the couple were not ready to abandon their trip. They took the next flight to Delhi, but they lost their money on the pre-booked hotel and other facilities.
After returning to the state, they lodged a complaint with the KSRTC but to no avail and then they approached the Kozhikode Permanent Lok Adalat.
Even during the Adalat hearings, there were no favourable responses from the KSRTC, the order stated. Apart from the compensation, the application expense of Rs 5,000 should also be given.
The order stated that the amount should be handed over in three months.
