law: The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
  68. Transport
  
  Authorities.
  1.     
  
    The
  
  State Government shall by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute for
  
  the State a State Transport Authority to exercise and discharge the powers and
  
  functions specified in sub-section (3), and shall in like manner constitute
  
  Regional Transport Authorities to exercise and discharge throughout such areas
  
  (in this Chapter referred to as regions) as may be specified in the
  
  notification in respect of each Regional Transport Authority; the powers and
  
  functions conferred by or under this Chapter on such Authorities:
  Provided that in the
  
  Union Territories, the Administrator may abstain from constituting any Regional
  
  Transport Authority.
  1.     
  
  
  2.     
  
    A
  
  State Transport Authority or a Regional Transport Authority shall consist of a
  
  Chairman who has had judicial experience or experience as an appellate or a
  
  revisional authority or as an adjudicating authority competent to pass any
  
  order or take any decision under any law and in the case of a State Transport
  
  Authority, such other persons (whether officials or not), not being more than
  
  four and, in the case of a Regional Transport Authority, such other persons
  
  (whether officials or not), not being more than two, as the State Government
  
  may think fit to appoint; but no person who has any financial interest whether
  
  as proprietor, employee or otherwise in any transport undertaking shall be
  
  appointed, or continue to be, a member of a State or Regional Transport
  
  Authority, and, if any person being a member of a any such Authority acquires a
  
  financial interest in any transport undertaking, he shall within four weeks of
  
  so doing, give notice in writing to the State Government of the acquisition of
  
  such interest and shall vacate office:
  Provided that nothing
  
  in this sub-section shall prevent any of the members of the State Transport
  
  Authority or a Regional Transport Authority, as the case may be, to preside
  
  over a meeting of such Authority during the absence of the Chairman,
  
  notwithstanding that such member does not possess judicial experience or
  
  experience as an appellate or a revisional authority or as an adjudicating
  
  authority competent to pass any order or take any decision under any law:
  Provided further that
  
  the State Government may,-
                       
  
   i.        
  
    where
  
  it considers necessary or expedient so to do, constitute the State Transport
  
  Authority or a Regional Transport Authority for any region so as to consist of
  
  only one member who shall be an official with judicial experience or experience
  
  as an appellate or a revisional authority or as an adjudicating authority
  
  competent to pass any order or take any decision under any law;
                      
  
   ii.        
  
    by
  
  rules made in this behalf, provide for the transaction of business of such
  
  authorities in the absence of the Chairman of any other member and specify the
  
  circumstances under which, and the manner in which, such business could be so
  
  transacted:
  Provided also that
  
  nothing in this sub-section shall be construed as debarring an official (other
  
  than an official connected directly with the management or operation of a
  
  transport undertaking) from being appointed or continuing as a member of any
  
  such authority merely by reason of the fact that the Government employing the
  
  official has, or acquires, any financial interest in a transport undertaking.
  1.     
  
  
  2.     
  
  
  3.     
  
    The
  
  State Transport Authority and every Regional Transport Authority shall give
  
  effect to any directions issued under section 67 and the State Transport
  
  Authority shall, subject to such directions and save as otherwise provided by
  
  or under this Act, exercise and discharge throughout the State the following
  
  power and functions, namely:-
  a.      to coordinate and
  
  regulate the activities and policies of the Regional Transport Authorities, if
  
  any, of the State;
  b.     to perform the duties
  
  of a Regional Transport Authority where there is no such Authority and, if it
  
  thinks fit or if so required by a Regional Transport Authority, to perform
  
  those duties in respect of any route common to two or more regions;
  c.      to settle all
  
  disputes and decide all matters on which differences of opinion arise between
  
  Regional Transport Authorities; and 1[(ca) Government to formulate routes for
  
  plying stage carriages; and]
  d.     to discharge such
  
  other functions as may be prescribed.
  1.     
  
  
  2.     
  
  
  3.     
  
  
  4.     
  
    For
  
  the purpose of exercising and discharging the powers and functions specified in
  
  sub-section (3), a State Transport Authority may, subject to such conditions as
  
  may be prescribed, issue directions to any Regional Transport Authority, and
  
  the Regional Transport Authority shall, in the discharge of its functions under
  
  this Act, give effect to and be guided by such directions.
  5.     
  
    The
  
  State Transport Authority and any Regional Transport Authority, if authorised
  
  in this behalf by rules made under section 96, may delegate such of its powers
  
  and functions to such authority or person subject to such restrictions,
  
  limitations and conditions as may be prescribed by the said rules.
  1. Ins. by Act 54 of
  
  1994, sec. 22 (w.e.f. 14-11-1994).