- (1.) "I have three buses. I have sufficient spare capacity. I can serve the public interest satisfactorily. I was allotted State Carriage Permit for half a return trip on the Thein Dam - Amritsar route on temporary basis and yet at the time of the grant of regular permits, my claim has been totally ignored by the State Transport Commissioner as well as the Appellate Tribunal". This is the entire burden of the petitioner's song. It prays that the orders passed by these authorities in so far as these relate to the allotment in favour of Respondent No. 5 be quashed. A few facts may be noticed.
(2.) In 1986, application for the allotment of temporary Stage Carriage Permits on the Thein Dam - Amritsar route were invited. 55 applicants, including the present petitioner, competed. The State Transport Commissioner considered these applications. It allotted half a return trip to the petitioner with the following observations : "M/s. Jasjit Transport Co. (Regd.), Amritsar (Sr. No. 16) is a very small transporter having only two buses both of 1986 model. They have purchased a third chassis (1987 model) whereas the mileage with them at present is only 140 kms which is too small. It is having two trips on Amritsar-Karaial via Ajnala route which under the present disturbed conditions is very uneconomic. Therefore, in the interest of viability, it is considered appropriate to cover all this route where this applicant can serve the public interest satisfactorily as it has sufficient spare capacity. I, therefore allot half return trip in favour of this applicant".
(3.) Besides the petitioner M/s. Ghuman Transport Co. (Respondent No. 5) and M/s. Tiwana Pahalwan Transport Co. (Respondent No. 6) were also allotted the temporary permits.;