Mannamarakkalage Ranjeewa Srimaal Cooray vs Road Passenger Transport Authority & others – CA/WRIT/678/2023-2025

In the case between bus operators holding route permits for Route No. 425 (Kalutara–Bandaragama) (Petitioners) and the Road Passenger Transport Authority and the National Transport Commission (Respondents), the court addressed whether the issuance of an additional bus permit by inviting tenders without conducting a mandatory survey contravened statutory provisions and established procedures. It was held that the statutory framework did not require a fresh survey prior to tendering for new permits and that the decision to award a new permit had been made after considering relevant operational factors. The holding reaffirmed that administrative discretion exercised by transport authorities, when based on statutory criteria and supported by proper assessment, does not amount to arbitrariness