Tuesday, June 10, 2014

HC prohibits transport authorities from seizing private vehicle midway

Gujarat high court has ruled that the authorities cannot seize vehicles of private travel operators midway by making passengers alight the vehicles.
The high court has said that in case of violation of the Motor Vehicle Act or other laws, the authorities have to first ensure that the passengers do not suffer. They can seize vehicles only after they reach final destination and all passengers get down.
The HC ruling has come in response to a petition filed by the Akhil Gujarat Pravasi Vahan Chalak Mahamandal, which has approached the court after the show-cause notices issued to various travel operators by Ahmedabad RTO.

The authority has asked private operators to close their function in case they do not have requisite permission. It has also warned those who have allegedly violated norms of their permits.
The RTO has maintained that private travel operators do not have permission to issue ticket to passengers, but they get permit to transport a group of people to certain destination and not in an individual's case. They moved the HC expressing apprehension that their vehicles would be intercepted midway and passengers will have to suffer.
The rules say that private travel operators can provide transportation to people from a spot to pre-decided destinations. But they do not have permission to issue tickets to passengers. The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation has got monopoly in this field.

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