Gauhati High Court greenlights diesel bus ban on city routes

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court paved the way for the Assam government to purge diesel buses from two key city corridors. Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi dismissed a petition from the Metropolitan Transport Association on Tuesday. The court ruled the state can proceed with its Green Routes policy. This plan covers the Khanapara to Dharapur and Basistha to Amingaon routes.

State officials launched this shift to cut carbon emissions based on an August 20, 2021, Cabinet decision. Authorities told bus operators they must either swap diesel engines for electric or CNG models or move to ten other routes. The Metropolitan Transport Association challenged the move, claiming the Regional Transport Authority lacked the power to dump existing permits without following statutory steps. They also argued a formal government notification was missing.

Justice Medhi rejected these arguments. He held that the Cabinet order acts as a valid policy directive. The court noted that multiple stakeholders including the Transport Department and Assam State Transport Corporation discussed the plan at length. Representatives for the owners took part in these talks. The court stated, "The Green Routes were not limited to state-owned buses and would remain open to CNG and electric buses operated by all service providers."

Roughly 200 buses were part of the initial dispute. That number shrank to about 50 owners by the time proceedings concluded. While the court shut down the challenge against the Green Routes, it allowed owners to seek relief elsewhere regarding separate gripes about permit fees.