• Passenger wins case against KSRTC’s Re. 1 round off
• Mysuru Consumer Court asks KSRTC to pay Rs. 30,001 within one month

Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has penalised the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) for unfairly collecting an additional Re. 1 from a passenger under the practice of rounding off ticket fares.

In its order dated July 7, the Commission, comprising Chairman A.K. Naveen Kumari and Member M.K. Lalitha, directed KSRTC to refund the excess fare and pay a compensation of Rs. 25,000 to the complainant for mental agony, along with Rs. 5,000 towards Court expenses. In total, KSRTC has been ordered to pay Rs. 30,001 within one month from the date of the order.

The complainant, Mysuru-based Advocate J. Kiran Kumar, a resident of Hoogya village in Chamarajanagar, had travelled on a KSRTC Airavatha Multi-Axle bus from Mysuru to Bengaluru on Dec. 31, 2024. He paid Rs. 390 through a UPI transaction, which included a base fare of Rs. 370, GST of Rs. 19, and an additional Re. 1 that was rounded off and explicitly mentioned on the ticket.

Kiran argued that the Re. 1 charge was unjustified, especially since UPI payments allow for precise digital transactions without requiring physical change. “The UPI system was introduced to overcome the challenge of providing exact change. Yet, KSRTC imposed a rounding off amount despite my digital payment. This is nothing short of an unfair trade practice targeting every passenger,” he submitted to the Commission.

Unfairness questioned

He filed the case on Feb. 10, 2025, seeking a refund of the excess fare and Rs. 1 lakh as compensation for the inconvenience and overcharging. Kiran also stated that when he confronted the conductor about the extra charge, he was told it was for “travel insurance” — an explanation he found misleading and unjustified.

Presenting a broader argument, he pointed out that KSRTC transports approximately 35 lakh passengers daily, including over 3.44 lakh luxury bus commuters. Based on monthly estimates, over one crore passengers travel on luxury buses every month. Annually, the number touches 12 crore. “By collecting Re. 1 as a rounded off fare from every luxury bus traveller, KSRTC earns around Rs. 12.39 crore per year through an unfair mechanism,” Kiran alleged.

The Commission noted that if KSRTC fails to comply with the compensation order within the stipulated one-month period, it will be liable to pay interest at 10 percent per annum on the total amount of Rs. 30,001 until full payment is made. Further, the complainant is entitled to initiate criminal proceedings and concerned KSRTC officials could face imprisonment.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Kiran said, “This is not just about Re. 1. It is about systematic overcharging and the breach of public trust since 2016, especially in the age of digital payments. This small issue reflects a much larger problem concerning transparency, ethics and accountability in public service. I’m glad the Consumer Commission delivered justice.”