( 1 ) THE petitioner in these Writ petitions are operators of motor vehicales in the State of Karnataka under permits issued by the concerned authorities under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. Some of them are plying stage carriages,. some are owners of contract carriages and some are running public carriages. The petitioners originally had questioned in these writ petitions the validity of some of the provision of the Karnataka Motor. Vehicle (Taxation on Passengers and Goods) Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the 'act'), as amended by the Karnataka Motor Vehicles (Taxation on Passangers and Goods)' (Amendment) Ordinance, 1974 (hereinafter referred to as the 'ordinance' ). During the; pendency of these writ petitions, the Ordinance was replaced by the Karnataka Motor vehicles (Taxation on Passengers arid Gopds) (Amendment) Act, 1974 (hereinafter referred to as the 'amending Act' ). On the, applications made by the petitioners we have permitted them to question the validity of the provision's of the Act as amended by the amending Act in these writ petitions. 2. Since common questions of law and facts arise for consideration in these cases, we dispose t