Ex-servicemen move HC for allowing them to operate buses

New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) The ex-service men, who wereoperating their buses under the Stage Carriage permits, todayapproached the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to theState Transport Authority(STA) not to withold the renewal ofthe permits of their buses.

Filing an application before a division bench headed byJustice A K Sikri, the ex-servicemen alleged the STA hastreated their buses under the category of bluelines andstopped renewing their permits after December 2010.

The bench, however, declined to grant any relief andasked the petitioner to file a separate writ petition as thecourt has reserved the verdict on the blueline phase-outmatter.

According to the petitioners, the STA has been grantingpermits under a different scheme to provide rehabilitation,employment and resettlement to the retired defence personnel.

Claiming that the permits were granted to them under ascheme different from the scheme of blueline, the petitionerssaid "non-renewal of permits of their buses is absolutelyillegal arbitrary and unconstitutional and the court shouldclarify that the PIL pertaining to phase-out of blueline buseshas no bearings on their permits.

The city government stopped renewing the permits ofblueline buses and plied low-floor AC/Non AC buses in theirplace but allowed some blueline buses to ply on the roads astheir permits expire after a few months.

Taking suo motu cognisance over repeated accidents by theblueline drivers on city roads, the High Court had in 2007directed the NCT government to phase out the buses.