A consumer commission has ordered RedBus to pay Rs 10,000 in compensation after the online bus booking platform cancelled a passenger's confirmed ticket just 17 minutes before the bus's scheduled departure. The commission found both RedBus and Bharmani Travels, the bus operator, jointly responsible for the cancellation, which left the passenger stranded late at night.
RedBus had argued that it functioned merely as an intermediary in the transaction and therefore bore no responsibility for the cancellation. However, the consumer commission rejected this position, determining that the platform bore shared liability for the incident alongside the bus operator.
The ruling establishes that RedBus cannot disclaim responsibility by positioning itself solely as a middleman between passengers and bus operators. The decision carries implications for how online travel platforms are held accountable for service failures affecting confirmed bookings.
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