Verified: 27 April 2026 09:30 pm IST
Industry: Public Transport (State Road Transport Corporation)
Jurisdiction: South Bengal & West Bengal, India
Primary Regulator: Transport Department, Government of West Bengal
Important Safety Warning: Beware of the massive “Refund SMS Scam.” Scammers frequently send SMS or WhatsApp messages stating: “Dear Passenger, your SBSTC ticket refund has failed. Please click this link or call our officer immediately to process your money.” This is a scam. Authentic SBSTC 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 online web portals (sbstconline.co.in), or by calling the centralized customer care bus helpline at 7699993930. For specific online reservation and e-ticketing technical support, you must message their dedicated WhatsApp refund desk at +91-7699994000 or email them directly at query@sbstcbooking.co.in. General operational feedback and control room queries can also be sent to sbstccontrolroom@gmail.com.
Availability: The WhatsApp cell and online booking portals operate 24x7. Official Bus Station Enquiry desks operate during standard daytime hours.
Timeline: Standard service requests and refund initiations must be acknowledged immediately. SBSTC aims to process online refunds within 8 working days and resolve standard operational grievances within 7 to 15 working days.
Source Verification: SBSTC Official Customer Care Contact Information
Level 2: Internal Escalation (Divisional Manager / Managing Director)
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 locally. Submit a written complaint or call the specific Divisional Manager of your origin/destination bus depot zone (Belghoria, Durgapur, or Jungle Mahal). If the local division fails to resolve it, escalate directly to the Managing Director at the Corporate Head Office (Dr. B.C. Roy Avenue, Durgapur - 713201) via email at sbstcmd@gmail.com.
Timeline: Under standard administrative guidelines, the Depot or Divisional officers must address and resolve escalated ticketing and service disputes within 15 to 30 days.
Source Verification: SBSTC Headquarters & Depot Escalation Directory
Level 3: State Administration & CMRO PGMS Portal
Authority: If the SBSTC Managing Director rejects your claim or fails to resolve the issue, you must escalate to the State Government via the Chief Minister’s Office (CMRO) Public Grievance Monitoring System.
Portal/Contact: You must submit your grievance to the state government via the WB PGMS Portal (excise.wb.gov.in/pgms) or by utilizing the state’s SMS pull service for tracking.
Timeline: Grievances escalated to the state portal are tracked with strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs), legally mandating a formal investigation by the Transport Department and a targeted resolution response within 15 to 30 working days.
Source Verification: West Bengal CMO Grievance Portal
Level 4: Consumer Court (Legal Action)
Pre-Litigation: Do not use central CPGRAMS unless the state portal completely fails to yield administrative action. Public transport service deficiencies do not require a specialized Ombudsman. 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 in West Bengal 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 SBSTC refusing to process your cancellation refund via the booking portal, or are you looking for the correct template to escalate a staff misconduct issue to the Durgapur 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!