V.K.KHANNA, J. - (1.) The question of law and facts involved in all these connected writ petitions are the same. Learned counsel for the petitioners at the very outset have made a statement before us that they will address only one argument in all these writ petitions. Similar is the statement of Sri A. P. Singh, Chief Standing Counsel, appearing on behalf of the respondents. It is in these circumstances that these petitions are being disposed of by a common judgment and writ petition No. 25646 of 1990 has been made the leading case with the consent of the parties and for the purposes of adjudication of these writ petitions the facts of the aforesaid writ petition No. 25646 of 1990 are being taken into consideration.
(2.) The main controversy which is involved in all these writ petitions is as to whether the petitioners, who are Mini Bus contract carriage permit-holders are entitled to pick up individual passengers at the starting point of their journey.
(3.) For the purposes of adjudicating the controversy in the present writ petitions it would be worthwhile to reproduce the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 (hereinafter described as the "old Act") and the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (hereinafter described as the "new Act").;