Supreme Court says law bars private buses between MP and UP along UPSRTC notified routes; asks States to find solution

Published on : 05 Nov 2025, 9:55 am 4 min read

The Supreme Court recently held that private bus operators cannot be granted permits to ply on inter-State routes between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh that overlap any portion of routes notified in favour of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) [ UP State Road Transport Corporation vs. Kashmiri Lal Batra & Ors. ].

A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih said that reciprocal transport agreements executed by States under Section 88 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 cannot override approved schemes or notified routes framed under Chapter VI of the Act.

It set aside multiple orders by the Madhya Pradesh High Court that had directed Uttar Pradesh transport authorities to countersign permits issued