Can private buses, popularly known as omni buses, which ply both inter-State and intra-State services using contract carriage permits, fix and collect the fare from individual passengers? No, said a Division Bench (comprising two judges) of the Madras High Court way back in 2016.
However, the Supreme Court had stayed the High Court’s verdict on February 3, 2017 following an appeal preferred by the Tamil Nadu government. Since then, the matter remains in limbo with the State appeal continuing to remain pending till date without passing final orders even after six years.
During the Deepavali season in 2016, a Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu (since retired) and M.V. Muralidaran (now Acting Chief Justice of Manipur High Court) had taken up a suo motu public interest litigation petition on the basis of a news report in a Tamil daily regarding complaints of exorbitant fares demanded by omni bus operators.
