HC 'no' to private service on nationalised routes

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, AUG. 20. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday held that subsequent to the implementation of the 1966 nationalised scheme, no private bus operator could be granted permission to operate services on the nationalised routes.

The Bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice, Mr. P. K. Balasubramanyan, and Mr. Justice T. M. Hassan Pillai made the observation while dismissing appeals filed by certain private bus operators against a single judge's judgment.

The judges held that after the 1966 nationalisation scheme came into force, the Regional Transport Authorities (RTAs) had no power to grant regular permit to any operator on the routes covered by the scheme.

In his judgment, the single judge had quashed the permit granted by the Idukki Regional Transport Authority to an operator for running a bus service on the Kumily-Kottayam route. His verdict came on a writ petition filed by the KSRTC and the KSRTC Employees' Association challenging the grant of permit to the operator. The KSRTC took the stand that the RTA had no power to grant permits to a private operator on the notified routes, since the routes were notified in the scheme under Chapter VI of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

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Section  : Southern States
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