This story is from November 20, 2019

What’s wrong if private buses, RTC run on one route: Telangana high court

In a boost to the government’s bid to privatise the road transport corporation, the Telangana high court on Tuesday described the move as a positive one that could trigger a healthy competition.
What’s wrong if private buses, RTC run on one route: Telangana high court
Representative image
HYDERABAD: In a boost to the government’s bid to privatise the road transport corporation, the Telangana high court on Tuesday described the move as a positive one that could trigger a healthy competition.
Hearing a petition filed by Telangana Jana Samithi questioning the government’s stand of privatising RTC at a time when nearly 48,000 employees are on strike, a bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy said private buses could effectively cater to the city’s commuting needs.

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“Breaking the monopoly of Air India, private airlines were allowed in Indian skies. Some flourished and some like Kingfisher perished. It would be a misplaced argument if you contend that this would affect the people adversely,” the CJ said.
The protesting employees have been opposing the opening of 5,100 public routes to private transporters.
“Forget about the strike. The central government had amended the Motor Vehicles Act and allowed states to invite private buses into public routes. The intention is to promote a healthy competition between the state-run RTC and private buses. Show us what is wrong with it. How is it unlawful,” the CJ asked the counsel for professor P L Visweswara Rao of Telangana Jana Samithi.
Rao questioned state’s decision to invite private buses into routes that were hitherto known as RTC routes that too when RTC workers were on strike.
One route does not mean one bus: Chief justice
The timing is important, it is done in bad faith,” said Chikkudu Prabhakar, the counsel for the petitioner. He said that the cabinet took the decision without consulting RTC and other affected parties though it was mandatory under Section 102 of the MV Act. This section directs the state to notify the proposed opening of routes through a gazette notification, publish it in regional media, invite objections from the affected parties.The bench sought the cabinet resolution copy from advocate general B S Prasad and opined that the intention of the cabinet was to initiate process under Section 102. “Your grievance can be justified if any of the steps enumerated under this Section are violated. But that stage has not yet come,” Justice Chauhan said. “One route need not be read as one bus. There may be several buses, both RTC and private, in one route,” the CJ clarified.
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