SATISH KUMAR MITTAL,J - (1.) THIS order shall dispose of Civil Writ Petitions No. 725 and 730 of 2008, filed by Pepsu Road Transport Corporation, Patiala, a State transport undertaking, under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, for quashing the order dated 11.8.2006 (Annexure P-3), passed by the State Transport Commissioner, Punjab, allowing the application of respondent No. 3, a private transporter, for increasing the return trips from one to two in respect of its two stage carriage permits on Amritsar to Abohar via Harike-Zira-Faridkot-Muktsar and Malout route; and the order dated 25.4.2007 (Annexure P-4), passed by the State Transport Appellate Tribunal, Punjab, Chandigarh, dismissing the revision of the petitioner against the aforesaid order.
(2.) IN the present case, on the application of respondent No. 3 for increase of the return trips, a survey was conducted by the Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Ferozepur, and as per his report the single length of the route is 232 Kms., out of which 168 Kms., route falls on the National Highways, while the remaining 64 Kms., route falls on the State Highways. The surveying officer, after taking into consideration the availability of the vehicles on the said route, recommended the increase in return trips from one to two in the public interest. Thereafter, as per the rules, the contents of the application were got published in the news paper, inviting objections from the general public. In response to that, the petitioner Corporation filed objections to the claimed increase of the return trips. After considering all the objections and providing an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, the State Transport Commissioner, Punjab, allowed the increase of return trips from one to two on Amritsar to Abohar via Harike-Zira-Faridkot-Malout route in respects of two permits of respondent No. 3.
(3.) FEELING aggrieved against the said order, the petitioner Corporation filed revision before the State Transport Appellate Tribunal, Punjab, Chandigarh, which has also been dismissed on 25.4.2007.;