Setback for TN as SC asks govt not to halt inter-state buses

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has told Tamil Nadu not to block buses with All India Tourist Permits from states including Kerala. The interim order regarding this was issued by a vacation bench comprising Justices BV Nagaratna and Ujjal Bhuyan on a plea filed by inter-state bus operators. The court also directed to send a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and asked them to respond by August 12.

Owners of non-state buses with All India Permits argued the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicle Department's proposal that if they want to operate through Tamil Nadu, the buses should be registered there. Tamil Nadu's action is based on the fact that the buses run stage carriage services by picking up and dropping off passengers from different places. Bus owners argue that any vehicle registered in any state can ply across India and that Tamil Nadu has no power to stop buses with All India Tourist Permits.

The petitions demanded that Tamil Nadu's proposal be quashed as violative of the Motor Vehicles Act. There are many buses operating from Kerala to states like Karnataka through Tamil Nadu. There was a controversy when a bus going to Bengaluru was stopped and the passengers were asked to get off.