The State authorities have restricted private tourist buses from plying within Ahmedabad city from 8 AM to 10 PM. “The decision seems correct. There are so many accidents taking place,” the Chief Justice remarked.
Last Friday, the Gujarat High Court declined to grant an expedited hearing for an appeal brought forward by private tourist bus operators. These operators had challenged a State government decision that imposed time restrictions on their operations within Ahmedabad, allowing them to run between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM.
The division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee, deemed these restrictions as justifiable in light of the city’s alarming accident rate.
Chief Justice Agarwal expressed her view, stating, “The decision seems appropriate, considering the numerous accidents in the city. I even witnessed two accidents on my way to the High Court, one of them resulting in an immediate fatality. It’s quite alarming. Thus, the imposition of these restrictions appears warranted.”
On the other hand, Senior Advocate Shaleen Mehta, representing the bus operators, argued that the ruling displayed bias by exclusively restricting private buses during the day while allowing public buses to continue their operations.
“We’ve been facing this kind of discrimination for over a year. We were hopeful of some relief before the upcoming Diwali holiday,” Mehta pleaded, requesting an immediate hearing before the holiday.
However, the bench rejected the request, indicating that the case could be heard after the Diwali festivities.
“Let it be scheduled after the Deepawali holiday. At least until Deepawali, the city’s residents can celebrate the festival and live in harmony. We will revisit the matter following the festive season,” Chief Justice Agarwal explained when denying the request for an urgent hearing.
