The Bangalore District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission recently ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and JAS Toll Road Company Limited to pay a commuter ₹5,000 in compensation after he was charged ₹10 excess toll fee.
The Commission’s President, B Narayanappa, and members Jyothi N and Sharavathi SM remarked that, despite collecting an excessive fee and the complainant running from pillar to post to correct the error, the NHAI and the toll firm showed no intention of resolving the complaint.
The complainant moved before the Commission, stating that he was charged ₹40 instead of ₹35 as a toll for a highway in Karnataka on two occasions.
Following the first instance, he issued a legal notice to the toll firm to correct the error. The corporation, however, did not correct the problem and repeated the excess collection a few months later. As a result, he approached the Commission.
The Commission noted that the tolls were clearly ₹35 and not ₹40. As a result, it decided that the NHAI and the company provided poor service.
It further stated that such errors do occur and that customers do not expect perfection.
“All they expect is for the responsible authority to acknowledge their redress and correct the error within a reasonable time frame,” the order stated.
The Commission concluded that defective service was evident because the NHAI and the firm did not take steps to address the complainant’s grievance.
As a result, the Commission ordered them to pay the complainant ₹10, as well as ₹5,000 in compensation for creating mental anguish and physical hardship, and another ₹3,000 in litigation fees.
