Kerala High Court stayed KSRTC’s decision to reduce discount on student’s ticket fares

The Kerala High Court has ordered the state road transport corporation to postpone for a month a decision it made to reduce the reduced cost for children attending CBSE schools and to hold the management of those institutions responsible for paying 35% of the ticket price.

 

The High Court suspended the application of clause 4 of the KSRTC’s February 27 memorandum for one month after finding that the petitioner association of managers of CBSE schools laid out a prima facie case for an interim order.

 

In its February 27 memorandum, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) specified that, for self-financing colleges, unaided schools, and recognised schools, students would be responsible for paying 35% of the ticket fare, the institution’s management would cover 35%, and only a 30% concession would be granted.

 

In addition, the court sent notice on the Kerala government and the KSRTC, both of which were represented by attorney Deepu Thankan, requesting a response to the petition’s claims by the next hearing date of August 9.

 

According to the petitioner association, the memorandum ‘classifies students based on the institutions in which they study and offers different rates of concessions,’ according to its argument.

 

‘Such a classification among the students travelling in the same bus is discriminatory and arbitrary. That apart as per clause 4 of the memorandum, CBSE/ ICSE school management are made liable to pay 35 per cent of the ticket fare in respect of their students travelling in KSRTC bus.’

‘There is no authority to the 3rd respondent (KSRTC) to impose such a condition on the management of CBSE/ICSE schools,’ the petition has contended.

 

According to the petitioner association, students attending government and aided schools will receive full concession under the agreement regardless of their parents’ wealth.

 

Additionally, it has been argued that the transport company cannot demand payment from CBSE school administrations for their students’ bus transportation on KSRTC buses if they are not receiving any services from KSRTC.

 

The petition asked for the revocation of section 4 of the memorandum and a directive to the KSRTC to make sure that students riding their buses are not subjected to discrimination because of the university they are attending.