( 1 ) THE petitioners have invoked Art. 226 of the Constitution and have challenged the legality of an order dated 18th May 1982, passed by the State Transport Appellate Tribunal, U. P. , Lucknow (hereinafter referred to as the Appellate Tribunal) setting aside a resolution dated 16th October. 1981, passed by the Regional Transport Authority, Moradabad (hereinafter referred to as the Transport Authority) including a portion of an independent route in their existing permits for stage carriages and remanding the matter for reconsideration by a duly constituted authority.

( 2 ) THE petitioners were existing permit-holders of one of the three routes which were Nagma-Kalagarh-via-Afzalgarh (hereinafter referred to as route No. (1); Nagina-Jaspur-via-Afzalgarh (hereinafter referred to as route No. 2), and Kashipur-Kalagarh-via-Jaspur (hereinafter referred to as route No. 3 ). Petitioners Nos. 1 to 8 (hereinafter referred to as the petitioners 1st set) the existing permit-holders of route No. 1 made applications under S. 57 (8) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) for the inclusion of routes Nos. 2 and 3 in their existing permits. The petitio