1. The petitioner possesses a Stage Carriage Permit No. 809-1622 for his transport vehicle on the Bulandshahr, Anupshahr, Debai, Naraura and Debai - Ramghat route in the Meerut Region. This route earlier was classified as a B Class route and also approved as such by the State Transport Authority. It is said that originally it was partly metalled and partly Kankar, while the extension from Debai to Ramghat was sandy. In 1957-58 this route was extended up to Ramghat and again classified by the Regional Transport Authority as a 'B' class route. When, however, the classification made by the Regional Transport Authority came up before the State Transport Authority, the latter by its resolution, dated the 29th / 30th September, 1958, declared it to be an 'A' class route.

2. One of the consequences of classifying the route as an 'A' class route has been an increase in the rate of taxes payable by the permit holder and also a decrease in the fare chargeable from persons travelling. It is common ground that the Stats Transport Authority gave no opportunity to the petitioner, or to the other permit holders plying their vehicles on this particular route, to show cause against the re - classifi