Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has upheld the Assam government’s decision to designate two major Guwahati corridors as “Green Routes”, allowing authorities to proceed with the gradual withdrawal of diesel-operated city buses from these routes.
The routes covered by the decision are Khanapara–Dharapur and Basistha–Amingaon.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi, in a judgment delivered on Tuesday, dismissed a petition filed by the Metropolitan Transport Association, Guwahati, challenging the Regional Transport Authority’s decision to phase out diesel buses from the two corridors.
Under the policy, bus operators have been given the option of switching to electric or CNG-powered vehicles or moving their services to 10 alternative routes.
Senior govt Advocate D Nath told the court that the Green Routes policy originated from a Cabinet decision taken on August 20, 2021, with the objective of reducing carbon emissions in Guwahati. The Regional Transport Authority subsequently began steps to gradually replace diesel-operated buses on the designated corridors.
The bus operators had argued that the RTA did not have the authority to declare the routes as Green Routes or require operators with valid permits to leave their existing routes without following the prescribed statutory process. They also questioned the absence of a separate government notification implementing the Cabinet decision.
The High Court rejected these arguments, holding that the Cabinet decision constituted a policy decision. The court also noted that the matter had subsequently been discussed in meetings involving the Transport Department, Assam State Transport Corporation, RTA and other stakeholders.
The court observed that representatives of the bus owners had participated in these meetings and were offered alternatives, including conversion to CNG or electric buses and shifting to other routes.
The dispute, which initially involved around 200 buses, had by the time of the proceedings narrowed to approximately 50 bus owners, according to the court.
The High Court also referred to an earlier division bench order stating that the Green Routes were not limited to state-owned buses and would remain open to CNG and electric buses operated by all service providers. That finding had not been challenged and had attained finality.
While dismissing the petition, the court allowed the bus operators to approach the appropriate forum regarding their separate grievance concerning permit fees.