Passengers were unaware of a protest in Kodagu demanding tree ownership rights in jamma bane or grazing lands.

Passengers reaching the bus stand as early as 7 am from different parts of the City had to cancel their journey and seek a refund.

Main bus station
A new problem cropped up for those boarding at the new Mysore Road terminus as they had to go to the main bus station at Majestic to get their tickets cancelled. “We bought the ticket at Mysore Road terminus and were to board the bus from here. Only to get the tickets cancelled we have to go all the way to Majestic,” complained Mr Tejpal Suvarna, a passenger, wondering why cancellation facility is not made available here in spite of computerisation of ticketing.

At Majestic, he was shunted from one counter to another as the first could not refund ‘in cash’, the second clerk was busy closing accounts and at the third counter he finally got his refund.

Ignorance is bliss?
The next hassle - booking a fresh ticket. When the bus was chosen, the counter clerk helpfully informed that boarding was from Majestic and not Mysore Road station for all buses taking the “Hassan-Shiradi Ghat” route.

The prospective passenger had to enlighten the blissfully unaware clerk that Shiradi Ghat section has been long closed for want of repairs and the open segments are Charmadi Ghat and Sampaaje Ghat.

Will the passengers’ woes move the railways to reopen the rail link between Bangalore-Mangalore early as repeatedly promised?