Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation [MSRTC] — Showed valid ticket on my mobile yet conductor refused to let me board the bus

Address: Viceroy Park CHSL Tower B Apartment 9D Thakur Village Kandivali East Mumbai 400101

On the morning of 29 April 2025, I reached Nancy Colony bus depot a few minutes before 6:30 AM. One of the buses MH-14 BT-4979 had a sign in Marathi that read Borivali-Ghotwadi on the front (see picture I clicked)

I asked the driver if this bus would go to Chakan. He was not polite and didn't confirm. He asked me to tell him the trip number. I tried telling him something by reading the booked ticket in my phone.

A few seconds later a conductor came into the bus. I told him I had a reservation up to Chakan and asked him to take a look at the screenshot of my ticket on my phone (which was displaying the same in my left hand)

He refused to take a look saying he did not have time. He sat on the front seat and then took a brief look and said your booking is for the 7.00 AM bus which was parked besides mine.

The driver started the bus, and the conductor made me alight.

(Now when making the online booking the previous evening I did not see any 7.00 AM bus from Nancy to Chakan (See screenshot of MSTRC taken this morning which shows only 2 buses from Borivali towards Chakan are displayed in the APP) I asked him to show me the booking manifest he had in his hand and to find out who has booked seat #10. He flatly REFUSED.

So, I rushed to the man (seems to in charge of the depot) sitting at the counter (met him the previous evening - was a NICE/GOOD person who told me I could come over the next morning and he would give me a seat on the morning bus as the counter booking was closed at 5.00 PM. However, I reinstalled the APP and successfully booked my ticket which I showed him the previous evening on my phone)

I told him about the rude conductor who REFUSED to allow me to take my legally booked ride. I further said that the bus has already started/must have said already left. He said if the bus has left what could be do?

However, I looked towards the stand exit and could see that there was another bus blocking the exit of my bus.

We both rushed towards my bus. I went to the front and signaled to the driver to wait.

The depot controller went to the conductor's side and asked him to read out the passenger's name against reservation seat #10. The conductor uttered a name which certainly did not sound like my name at all. (The conductor could have looked up the passenger's mobile number which should be available on the printed manifest in his hand - but he did not do so)

I handed over my phone to the NICE/GOOD depot controller who took a look and said that the reservation was indeed for this particular bus going to Ghotwadi via Chakan.

Reluctantly the conductor opened the door and let me in. He further shouted at me and asked me to speak to him in Marathi instead of Hindi.

I asked the Gas Delivery man sitting on seat #9 what could be the reason for him refusing me.

Anyway, during the journey, the rude conductor was shouting at passengers. At some stops at Panvel he refused passengers although they were willing to travel standing.

The Gas Delivery man too said he was very rude.

An old man maybe over 80 years old came into the bus at Khopoli and booked a ticket up to Lonovala. (There was no seat available, so he sat in a passenger's bag lying on the floor) He needed to get off in-between, but the rude conductor shouted at him.

Finally, he let him get off. (If the poor fellow had to go all the way to Lonovala and then come back by another bus where he needed to actually get off that would cost him time and money)

Interestingly on the was a small family got into the bus Man, Woman and Child of around 3 years. They had a previously booked reservation. It's strange how the conductor stopped the bus in the middle of known famous stops to pick them up?

The three of they took their reserved seats in my right. (seats meant for 2 but they child was around 3 years old who sat on their laps)

If I had missed by legally/rightfully booked bus?

This is the first time in my life that I've encountered a ST bus conductor to refuse a passenger with a legally booked ticket.

Please take STRICT disciplinary ACTION against this RUDE Conductor.