[Resolved]  Paulo Travels — irresponsible staff and arrogant and unfriendly drivers experienced with Paulo Travels

Address:

North Goa, Goa

We had a very bad experience with Paulo Travels bus service recently, to be precise, it was on 9th Feb, Sunday, when my daughter and I were travelling back to Goa from Pune. I was not informed about the Cancellation of the bus until I called up their Pune Katraj Office at 10.30pm. I had called them at 9pm to confirm the bus timing and my place of boarding; however even at that time their office rep. did not inform me that my bus was cancelled. My daughter and I were waiting on the Hinjewadi Wakad highway for almost an hour for the bus to arrive and finally at 11pm, after repeated calls to their office, were informed about the cancellation and asked to board another Paulo non-AC bus. When this non-AC bus arrived the drives of this bus denied to take us in their bus but later asked us to board it and then again at Paulo Katraj office, we were asked to get down. That bus apparently was over booked and there were no seats available. The non-AC bus came to Goa with 2 extra passengers sleeping in the passage. Now due to the differences among the office staff and the drivers, we were made the scapegoat. This is utter humiliation. We have complained several times in their Panaji office; however they seem to be least bothered. I got a call from their office, from one Mario, who claims to be the owner of Paulo Travels, apologising and asked me to collect the refund. So yesterday when my husband went to their office, the office staff said that they have been asked to give us a refund of just Rs.300 as the difference between AC and non AC bus! Their staff claims to have done their jobs without a glitch. They claim to have informed us via sms about the bus cancellation but we were certainly not. Secondly, their Katraj office claims that they had assured us to put us in an AC bus but these are false statement made by them which troubled us. Would any of these people explain as to why two ladies would, if informed, go to the isolated highway and stand for the bus to arrive? Why would we be stubborn on the phone, spending our money on the calls, ask only for an AC bus that too when it was freezing cold not only in Pune but even in Goa during that time? To end it all, we were given a front berth with no leg space and very congested. The drivers were very rude and unfriendly. They did not stop the bus even on request of the ladies in the bus to attend natures call! They kept telling us that the bus will stop only in Kolhapur and not in between. There were two other ladies along with me in the bus who were literally in pain until we reached Kolhapur and finally the driver stops the bus only at their office in Kolhapur which has only one toilet for so many ladies! This has all happened because we are helpless ladies travelling in the bus. I would highly appreciate your help in taking up this matter seriously and to put forth this injustice done to us so that hence forth at least the ladies are not humiliated the way we were. I would like to know what action can be taken against this travels and the reimbursement that I should get. I request you to take this matter seriously and would appreciate your immediate response.