Shama Sardar Travels — Deficiency in Service

Address:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

We had booked for journey by A/C sleeper from Tirunelveli to Chennai by Shama Sardar on the 14th June 2015 by the 9.45 pm bus in the name of Sivaramakrishnan and Abdul Irfan. We were asked to get into bus no. NL-01B-0844 and were allotted RL 3 and 4 berths. Being an Air conditioned bus, it did not have any ventilation nor was there any openable emergency exit. The bus did not start on time as there was some issue with the air conditioner and the crew/support was trying to repair the same. After sometime the crew started the bus but passengers protested that the air conditioner be repaired and then the bus could move on. However the bus started moving and with no ventilation, it became suffocating for the passengers and all o[censored]s started complaining about the same. All along the crew was comforting that the issue will be resolved. After some 30 minutes of travel the bus halted at the outskirts of Tiruneveli and the passengers wanted the crew to provide an alternate bus as it was becoming very difficult to travel in such suffocating atmosphere. After repeatedly complaining and after some passenger called up Shama Sardar office, someone from Shama Sardar called the driver and informed that alternate bus would be available at Madurai. He informed that this would however be a non A/C. After protests and arguments, passengers wanted a partial refund for the same and finally after a lot of talking over phone, it was agreed that a non A/c bus will be provided at Madurai and Rs.400 will be refunded. Passengers who did not want to proceed were informed that the refund would be granted directly by Red Bus. Two passengers ( a couple) got down at that stage and we agreed to continue based on the fact that alternate arrangement would be available at Madurai and continued the journey thinking we would be taken to Madurai. After assuring us this, the bus however did not proceed to Madurai but came back to Tirunelveli around 12 midnight. Again after a lot of questioning and arguments by various passengers, there was no clarity on whether the bus will go to Madurai and an alternate bus would be provided. We informed the crew that we will not travel without any assurance and sought a refund. Orally the crew agreed to refund and said those o[censored]s who had booked through Redbus will get the refund directly. However despite repeated requests they refused to give any acknowledgement. We got down from the bus after these oral assurances about refund as we had to reach Chennai next day morning before 10 am. We had to make alternate arrangements to reach Chennai and spent additional Rs.12767 because of this. There are a few issues that we wish to raise based on the agony and difficulties faced by us: Refund of ticket charges - how and when will this be given? Who will compensate us for the additional charges paid by us to reach Chennai? Having booked tickets and paid for it in advance, we have not been provided the necessary service. This amounts to gross deficiency in service. How will this be compensated? Our inability to reach Chennai has resulted in loss of revenue for us. How will Shama Sardar or Redbus compensate us for the mental agony as well as the revenue loss on account of our schedules/deadlines being missed? We request that suitable compensation be paid as otherwise we will be forced to approach the consumer forum. We have been given only the ticket refund but the other two issues have not been addressed