LMRC offers ₹30 against ₹4.9L sought by passenger

MISSED DELHI FLIGHT Gaurav Tripathi sought compensation after Metro train had remained stranded at Mawaiyya crossing on day one

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has offered to pay Rs 30 to the passenger who had sought around Rs 5 lakh as compensation from it after he missed his flight due to technical snag during the inaugural run of the rail.

The Metro train had remained stranded at Mawaiyya crossing for close to two hours on September 6, the day it was inaugurated.

Gaurav Tripathi, a passenger, who missed his flight to Delhi, has sought a compensation of Rs 4.90 lakh for ‘mental tension and loss of professional reputation besides the price of tickets which were rendered useless.

Replying to his notice within the specified period of a month, the LMRC has admitted that due to the technical glitch the train remained stranded near Mawaiyya.

“But Metro by-laws say that they can return the passenger

The LMRC is a service provider and it cannot escape its responsibilities by citing its bylaws. There have been a number of cases in which railways and airlines have been forced to pay compensation. SARVESH SHARMA, senior consumer lawyer

fare that too after all the details sought by LMRC was submitted by Gaurav,” said an official.

In his petition submitted to the district consumer forum, Gaurav has accused the LMRC of showing apathy towards the situation which he faced.

The hearing of the case is scheduled on December 5.

“I work for a multinational company and was scheduled to take a flight to attend an important meeting in Delhi. My flight was at 8.30am and I purchased the ticket at 6am and boarded the train which halted near Mawaiyya for over 45 minutes. I was able to come out of the train from an emergency exit gate. After that I hired a chartered auto but I missed my flight. My commitment towards my client was not fulfilled because of the metro snag. This affected my professional reputation and they are offering me Rs 30. Is this some joke?” said Gaurav.

Senior consumer lawyer Sarvesh Sharma said the court was not bounded by the by-laws of the company.

“The LMRC is a service provider and it cannot escape its responsibilities by citing its by-laws. There have been number of cases in which railways and airlines have been forced to pay the compensation,” he said.