Honesty pays: When bus passenger made digital payment of Rs 62k for Rs 6 ticket in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Honest and prompt action by conductors of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) drew praise after three separate incidents highlighted their integrity in handling passengers' money and valuables.

In one case on Jan 14, a senior citizen who boarded a city bus at Uttarahalli, travelling from Kengeri towards Banashankari, intended to pay Rs 6 through UPI using the QR code provided by the conductor. However, he accidentally transferred Rs 62,316. Shocked by the erroneous payment, the passenger immediately alerted conductor K Puttaswamy, who escalated the matter to his depot authorities.



Chandrakala BR, manager of Kengeri depot, said the passenger was advised to submit a written request along with relevant documents, including Aadhaar details and bank transaction proof. "After the conductor guided him, he submitted the relevant documents and, within a few days, the excess amount was refunded," she said.

She added on Dec 5, an IT professional, Niranjali, mistakenly transferred Rs 64,000 while making a digital payment for a ticket to Electronics City on a bus that departed from Kengeri. After informing the conductor , Maruthi Pandre, she was guided to approach the depot with the necessary documents. "Her excess amount was refunded promptly. She expressed gratitude to the conductor and staff for their quick assistance," the depot manager said.

In another incident, conductor Ganga S Pujari returned gold jewellery worth nearly Rs 10 lakh left behind by a passenger. The incident occurred while she was on duty on a bus operating from KR Market to Padmanabhanagar. A woman passenger who alighted at Basavanagudi accidentally left behind one of her bags.

"After the bus left Basavanagudi, while issuing tickets, I noticed an unattended bag and asked the passengers if it belonged to anyone. They said it did not. After some time, officials informed me that a woman approached police station seeking help to trace the bag she left behind. Meanwhile, the woman boarded another bus from Basavanagudi and sought the help of its conductor, who contacted me as we know each other. At the last stop, we handed over the bag to her. She was very happy to receive her valuables back," she said.

Similarly, a woman travelling on a Vayu Vajra service to Kempegowda International Airport forgot her robotic vacuum cleaner while alighting. The crew traced her and returned the item.

On Saturday, transport minister Ramalinga Reddy felicitated the conductors and staff involved in these incidents, awarding them cash prizes and appreciation letters for their prompt and honest service.