Robin can be described as a popular vehicle with a good fan base. It’s been a while since the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Robin Bus reached a deadlock. Despite long legal battles, the Robin bus is currently running on the roads, but the battle is intensifying. Now the Tamil Nadu police has taken Robin into custody for alleged permit violations. The question of where the truth lies remains uncertain, leaving the High Court to provide the answer.
The owner of Robin bus, Girish, said that he contemplated operating his contract carriage bus as a stage carriage according to the All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023. This Act allows vehicles with All India tourist permit to operate as stage carriages.
There are two types of carriage services operating in the country: Contract Carriage and Stage Carriage
Contract Carriage Vehicles:
Contract Carriage means a motor vehicle which carries a passenger or passengers for hire under a contract expressed or implied for the use of the vehicle as a whole or for a fixed or agreed rate or sum. It will carry passengers from one point to another without stopping to pick up or set down along the line of route passengers not included in the contract; and includes a motor cab notwithstanding that the passengers may pay separate fares.
In other words, Contract Carriage Vehicles are the types of vehicles that are hired on the basis of an advance hire agreement. These should not ply with a route board. It is not allowed to enter the bus depots or bus stands during the journey, pick up and drop passengers from each stop or take money from the travelers by giving tickets.
Stage Carriage Vehicles:
Stage Carriage means a motor vehicle carrying more than six persons excluding the driver which carries passengers for hire at separate fares paid by individual passengers, either for the whole journey or for stages of the journey. This category includes vehicles that can stop at a stop and pick up people at any time of the day or night. They are also responsible for providing transportation facilities for students, differently abled and others.
The Motor Vehicles Act provides for temporary special contract carriage permit for stage carriage. But contract carriages are not allowed to issue stage carriage permit even temporarily.
The All India Tourist Permit rule has recently been implemented. Earlier, tourist buses operated under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Because of this, separate taxes had to be paid in the states, the vehicle was travelling. To avoid this inconvenience the All India Tourist Permit rule was introduced. Under this rule, a tourist bus can travel through any state in India by paying an annual permit fee of Rs. 3 lakh.
However, the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) argues that the law does not permit such operations in this manner.
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