Verified: 25 April 2026 09:30 am IST
Industry: Public Transport (State Road Transport Corporation)
Jurisdiction: Karnataka, India
Primary Regulator: Transport Department, Government of Karnataka
Important Safety Warning: Beware of the massive “Refund SMS Scam.” Scammers frequently send SMS or WhatsApp messages stating: “Dear Passenger, your KSRTC ticket refund has failed. Please click this link or call our officer immediately to process your money.” This is a scam. Authentic KSRTC staff will never send alerts from a personal 10-digit mobile number, nor will they ask you to download screen-sharing apps or pay via personal UPI links.
Level 1: Customer Support (Initial Complaint)
How to complain: Register your complaint (ticket refunds, bus delays, staff behavior) directly via the official KSRTC AWATAR mobile booking app, the web portal, or by calling the 24/7 centralized customer care helpline at 080-26252625. For specific AWATAR e-ticketing and booking assistance, you must call their dedicated cell at 7760990034 or 7760990035. You can also email the refund and support cell directly at awatar@ksrtc.org.
Availability: The central 080 helpline and online portals operate 24x7. The AWATAR ticketing cell operates from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM IST on all days.
Timeline: Standard service requests and refund initiations must be acknowledged immediately. KSRTC aims to process online refunds within 14 days and resolve standard operational grievances within 7 to 15 working days.
Source Verification: KSRTC Official Customer Care Contact Information
Level 2: Internal Escalation (Divisional Controller / Chief Traffic Manager)
Who to contact: If Level 1 support fails, your refund is stalled, or your ticket is closed without a fix, you must formally escalate the issue. Submit a written complaint to the Divisional Controller (DC) of your specific operating division, or escalate to the Chief Traffic Manager (Commercial or Operations) at the Corporate Office in Shanthinagar, Bengaluru via email at ctmcom@ksrtc.org or ctmopn@ksrtc.org.
Timeline: Under standard administrative guidelines, the Divisional or Corporate officers must address and resolve escalated ticketing and service disputes within 15 to 30 days.
Source Verification: KSRTC Telephone & Escalation Directory
Level 3: Corporate Headquarters & State Janaspandana Portal (iPGRS)
Authority: Do not approach MoRTH. If the regional officers reject your claim or fail to resolve the issue, you must escalate to the Managing Director at the KSRTC Corporate Headquarters, Shanthinagar, Bengaluru. Simultaneously, lodge a formal grievance on the State’s Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (iPGRS / Janaspandana).
Portal/Contact: You must submit your grievance to the state government via the e-Janaspandana portal (ipgrs.karnataka.gov.in) or by calling the central state grievance toll-free line at 1902.
Timeline: Grievances escalated to the Headquarters and the Janaspandana portal are tracked with strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs), legally mandating a formal response and resolution action within 30 days.
Source Verification: Karnataka e-Janaspandana (iPGRS) Portal
Level 4: Consumer Court (Legal Action)
Pre-Litigation: Do not use central CPGRAMS for state utilities. Unlike the statutory electricity sector, public transport service deficiencies do not require a specialized Ombudsman. If Janaspandana fails, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) via 1915 is your final pre-litigation step.
Court/Arbitration: If you are aggrieved by unrefunded tickets, severe delays causing financial loss, or gross negligence, you must file a formal complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, utilizing the e-Daakhil portal.
Timeline: You must file the case within two years from the date the cause of action (the service failure) arose.
Source Verification: National Consumer Helpline (NCH) Portal
Community Action: Is KSRTC refusing to process your cancellation refund, or are you looking for the correct template to escalate a staff misconduct issue to the Shanthinagar Headquarters? Reply below (do not share your passwords, bank details, or your exact PNR Numbers), and our community will point you to the right resources!