Passenger Misses Flight Due To Bus Delay: Kurnool Consumer Commission Holds Greenline Travels Liable
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
18 Aug 2026 10:04 AM IST
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Kurnool, comprising President Sri Karanam Kishore Kumar and Members Sri N. Narayana Reddy and Smt. S. Nazima Kausar, has held Greenline Travels liable for deficiency in service after an unexplained route deviation caused a passenger to miss his scheduled flight from Bengaluru to Delhi. The Commission observed that general terms and conditions cannot be treated as an “unrestricted licence” to deviate from a scheduled route or materially alter arrival times without reasonable justification or informing passengers.
Facts
The complainant, G.M. Anvith Mithra, had to travel to Delhi to join an M.Phil. course at IHBAS on October 27, 2025. He booked a Greenline Travels bus from Adoni to Bengaluru, scheduled to arrive at around 5:00 A.M. on October 26, ahead of his 10:50 A.M. Indigo flight from Bengaluru.
However, the bus took a different route and reached Devanahalli Toll Cross only at around 11:30 A.M., resulting in the complainant missing his flight. He subsequently booked an Air India flight at a higher fare and incurred accommodation expenses. He approached the Commission claiming ₹20,840 towards these expenses, ₹5 lakh for mental agony and ₹1 lakh towards litigation costs.
Contentions
Greenline Travels denied deficiency in service and relied on the ticket's terms and conditions permitting route or timing changes due to prevailing circumstances and operational requirements. It argued that delays could result from traffic, road conditions, breakdowns and other circumstances beyond its control.
The operator further contended that the complainant could not rely on the assurance allegedly given by the driver and argued that the complaint was not maintainable as the bus service was governed by the Motor Vehicles Act.
Commission's Observation
The Commission rejected the defence, observing that although minor and unavoidable delays may be inherent in road transport, an unexplained delay of several hours resulting in a passenger missing a pre-booked flight amounts to failure to render service with reasonable care and diligence.
It noted that Greenline Travels had failed to produce convincing evidence explaining the route deviation or establishing that the delay was caused by circumstances beyond its control. The Commission held that the terms and conditions could not give the operator an unrestricted right to materially alter the scheduled arrival time without reasonable justification or informing the passenger.
The Commission also rejected the objection based on the Motor Vehicles Act, holding that the Act does not bar a consumer from seeking redress for deficiency in a service availed for consideration.
Decision
The Commission partly allowed the complaint and directed Greenline Travels to pay ₹13,000 towards the actual and consequential expenses incurred on account of the deficient bus service.
It further directed the travel operator to pay ₹50,000 towards compensation for mental agony, inconvenience and harassment and ₹10,000 towards costs of the complaint, taking the total amount payable to ₹73,000.
The amount was directed to be paid within 45 days from the date of receipt of the order, failing which the entire amount of ₹73,000 would carry interest at 12% per annum from the date of default till realization.
Case Title: G.M. Anvith Mithra v. The Managing Director, Greenline Travels
Case No.: Consumer Complaint No. 70/2026
Appearance: G.M. Lalith for the Complainant; A. Sreenivasulu for the Opposite Party
