The complainant alleged that due to the unexplained route change and bus delay, he missed his flight. (Image generated using AI)A consumer commission in Andhra Pradesh has directed a bus operator to pay Rs 73,000 to a college student after he missed his Delhi flight allegedly after the bus took a different route on the way to Bengaluru airport from where he was supposed to depart. The commission observed that the failure to transport the complainant within the represented schedule, coupled with the absence of timely information regarding route deviation, constituted deficiency in service.President Karanam Kishore Kumar and members N. Narayana Reddy and S. Nazima Kausar directed the operator to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation for mental agony and inconvenience, Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses and Rs 13,000 for the consequential expenses, such as further ticket costs which he subsequently purchased and the accommodation costs.“The opposite party, being a service provider, was required to exercise reasonable care and diligence in providing the transportation service in accordance with the schedule represented to the passenger. While minor and unavoidable delays may be inherent in road transport, an unexplained delay of several hours, resulting in the passenger missing a pre-booked flight, amounts to failure to render the service with reasonable care and diligence,” the order read.Route deviation and a missed flightAccording to the complainant, he was selected to pursue a course in New Delhi. To reach Delhi, he booked a flight departing from Bengaluru, at 10:50 AM. To get to the airport on time, he booked an overnight bus ticket with the opposite party from Adoni to Bengaluru, which was scheduled to depart at 11:15 PM and arrive at 5 AM.It was alleged that during the trip the bus diverted onto an alternate route without prior notice to passengers and despite assurances at boarding that the bus would reach near the airport around 5:30 AM, it did not reach the location until 11:30 AM, causing the complainant to miss the flight.The complainant said that he had to book a last-minute flight for Rs 8,000 to Delhi later that evening, incurring extra room rental charges for waiting and arriving in Delhi early the next morning.The bus operator argued that its ticket terms and conditions allow route alterations and timing changes due to operational requirements, traffic, or safety. They also claimed that statement assurances made by bus drivers do not constitute a binding guarantee, and public transport operators are governed under the Motor Vehicles Act.Story continues below this adThe commission held that the general terms and conditions governing the bus ticket do not give a private operator an “unrestricted license” to deviate from routes without reasonable justification or without informing the passenger. It noted that the opposite party should have placed proof before the commission if there was any unavoidable traffic diversion, road closure, breakdown, safety issue or other operational exigency necessitating the change of route.“Except relying upon the general terms and conditions, no satisfactory evidence has been produced to establish that the substantial delay was caused by any unavoidable circumstance beyond its control. The complainant had booked the bus after verifying the published schedule and made his onward flight arrangements accordingly. The scheduled arrival of the bus at about 5 AM and the scheduled departure of the flight at 10:50 AM provided a reasonable time gap. Therefore, the complainant cannot be faulted for relying upon the schedule represented by the opposite party,” the commission said.Observing that the opposite party failed to provide any reason for the deviation from the scheduled route, the commission partly allowed the plea and directed the bus operator to pay a total sum of Rs 73,000 to the complainant.TakeawayService providers cannot escape accountability for unannounced deviations or major delays simply by hiding behind standard terms and conditions; unless they can prove severe delays were caused by genuinely unavoidable, documented emergencies.Story continues below this adFor consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Andhra Pradesh: 0866–2551431) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.Don’t miss out on these stories:Passengers miss flight after timing change ‘sent to wrong email’, win Rs 1.8 lakh payoutInsurer rejects claim over ‘history of high BP’, Himachal man wins Rs 2 lakh payoutFlight cancelled, family ‘forced’ to extend Goa stay, airline ordered to pay Rs 64,000 Ashish Shaji is a Senior Sub-Editor at The Indian Express (Digital), where he specialises in legal journalism. Combining a formal education in law with years of editorial experience, Ashish covers court developments and key cases for the audience. Expertise Ashish is a law graduate (BA LLB) from IME Law College, CCSU. His work at The Indian Express focuses on translating the often-dense proceedings of courts into clear, legal content. He also runs liveblogs from the Supreme Court and various High Courts. Industry Experience: With over 5 years in the field, Ashish has contributed to several niche legal and professional platforms, honing his ability to communicate complex information. His previous experience includes: Lawsikho: Gaining insights into legal education and practical law. Verdictum: Focusing on high-quality legal news and court updates. Enterslice: Working at the intersection of legal, financial, and advisory services. ... Read More Tags:consumer court