(1)

A bound complaint books duly ruled, pages signed and stamped with the seal of the manager of the Stage Carriage service, and where there is no manager, of the Stage Carriage permit holder, approved and countersigned by the Regional Transport Authority concerned, shall be maintained by such manager or the permit holder, as the case may be, at such stands as may be directed by the Regional Transport Authority and also in every Stage Carriage to enable passengers to record any legitimate complaint in connection with the Stage Carriage service.

(2)

Such complaint shall be written clearly and in an intelligible manner and the complainant shall also clearly and legibly record in the complaint book his full name, address and date on which such complaint is written.

(3)

The manager of the Stage Carriage or the permit holder, as the case may be shall promptly look into every complaint recorded in the complaint book, remove the cause of the complaint or of its recurrence and submit, within a month of the recording of the complaint, an explanation to the Regional Transport Authority which granted the permit, together with a copy of the complaint stating the action taken by him in connection with the complaint. A copy of the report shall be forwarded by the manager of the such carriage or the permit holder, as the case may be, to the complainant.

(4)

The complaint book shall be so securely kept in such carriage or at the bus stand, as the case may be, as cannot be removed and shall at all times be made available by the driver and the conductor, if any, of such carriage to any passenger desiring to record a complaint or to any officer of the Motor Vehicles Department not below the rank of Motor Vehicles inspector for purposes of inspection.

(5)

If the complaint book is lost or destroyed, the manager of such carriage or the permit holder, as the case may be, shall within one week of such loss or destruction, intimate the fact in writing to the Regional Transport Authority.

(6)

If the State Transport Authority is satisfied that adequate arrangements for recording complaints have been made in respect of any such carriage, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that subject to such terms and conditions as shall be stated therein, the provisions of this rule shall not apply to such carriage service.