A.L.BAHRI, J. - (1.) Vide this judgment, four writ petitions (Nos. 14759, 14760 and 14761 of 1993 and 255 of 1994) filed by PEPSU Road Transport Corporation against the State of Punjab and others are being disposed of as common question of law is involved therein, which is as under :- "Whether State Transport Commissioner, exercising powers of Regional Transport Authority has the jurisdiction to extend route-permits of private operators, overlapping the whole or part of monopoly route, as provided under the scheme prepared and approved under Sections 99 and 100 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988?"
(2.) Bhikhi to Budhlada is a monopoly-route, as per scheme approved under the Motor Vehicles Act. Private respondent Nirvair Transport Company in two of the writ petitions (Nos. 14759 and 14761 of 1993) was operating on Barnala-Bhikhi route and they applied for extension of their route up to Budhlada, which was allowed by the State Transport Commissioner vide order dated 11/06/1993 (Annexure P/4). Claim of the petitioner is that this could not legally be done.
(3.) In Civil Writ Petition No. 255 of 1994, on the application of private respondent Khalsa Bus Service extension was granted overlapping Bhikhi-Budhlada monopoly route. Their original route was Barnala to Bhikhi via Dhaula, Kahneke, Aspal Kalan. This was done vide order dated 31/05/1993 (Annexure P5).;