Ensure ban on smoking in buses, Transport Dept told

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21

The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has directed the Transport Department of Haryana to take effective and stern measures to ensure that smoking is completely prohibited in all buses and bus stand complexes.

Such a directive should be issued by the respondent in strict adherence to the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which mandates the prohibition of smoking in public places to protect public health and welfare.

The commission has passed the order while deciding an appeal filed by Ashok Kumar Prajapat, a resident of Hisar, Haryana, against the order of the District Commission.

The District Commission in its order dated November 24, 2023, had dismissed the complaint of Prajapat filed against smoking incident happened in a bus.

In the complaint, Prajapat said that on July 29, 2019, he travelled from Baldev Nagar to Chandigarh in Haryana State Transport, Rewari Depot bus.

During this trip, he saw that the bus driver was smoking while sitting on his seat. He felt extremely suffocated, uncomfortable and insecure due to smoke. The department in the reply said that both driver and conductor were punished as a fine of Rs 200 was imposed on the driver for smoking and a fine of Rs 1,000 was imposed on the conductor for sitting on the first seat. However, the District Commission dismissed his complaint. Prajapat then challanged the order before the State Commission. The Commission directed to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 to the complainant for mental agony and cost of litigation.