( 1 ) THE appellant was the third respondent and third respondent herein was the petitioner in W. P. No. 22695 of 1997. Karnataka State Transport authority ('ksta' for short) and its Secretary are respondents 1 and 2 in the writ petition as well as in the appeal.

( 2 ) ONE Ratnakar Adhikari was the holder of permit No. TST 9/1994-95 to operate a stage carriage on the route Nethilapadavu to Krishnapura and back (four round trips per day by one vehicle ). The details of the route was as follows. "nethilapadavu, Gerukatte, Manjeswara, Talapady, Thokkottu (Pumpwell Circle, Kankanady), Mangalore bus Stand, Lady Hill, urva Stores, Panambur, Surathkal, Krishnapura".

( 3 ) THE said permit holder applied and obtained three variations of conditions of permit, under Section 80 (3) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 ('act' for short) as detailed below: first variation of conditions of permit:3. 1 The permit holder applied on 21-12-1994 for the following variation of the conditions of permit: " (a) Curtailment of existing route from Nethilapadavu to Kankanady (three round trips); (b) Curtailment of existing route from Krishnapura to kankanady (four round trips); and (c) Inclus