The Madras High Court has declared as unconstitutional and illegal a 2024 order issued by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) that mandated all southbound omni buses to operate exclusively from the Kilambakkam Bus Terminus (KCBT). The order also prohibited these buses from entering Chennai city with passengers beyond KCBT.
Court Ruling
Justice V. Lakshminarayanan delivered the verdict on a batch of petitions filed by private omni bus operators and the Tamil Nadu Omni Bus Owners Association, challenging the RTA directive. The court noted that an interim order currently allows buses to operate from within the city to pick up passengers at designated spots.
Enforcement of 2004 Order
The judge emphasized that restrictions imposed by a division bench of the court in 2004 must also be enforced. The 2004 order prohibited permanent parking of omni buses on roadsides within Chennai city, except for stopping to pick up or drop off passengers.
The court further stated that the existing arrangement between authorities and bus operators regarding pick-up and drop-off points, as well as the use of the Varadharajapuram area as a parking lot for omni buses, may continue.
