S.M. Janaka Nishantha vs. National Transport Commission & others – CA/WRIT/677/2023-2025

In the case between several bus service operators, including the petitioners, and the National Transport Commission along with the Road Passenger Transport Authority, the court addressed whether the issuance of new transport permits for Route No. 441 complied with statutory obligations, specifically the necessity of a preliminary survey before tendering. It was held that the statutory framework did not impose a mandatory duty to conduct a prior survey before calling for new tenders, and that the respondents’ actions were within the scope of their discretionary and statutory powers. The principle reaffirmed is that administrative bodies are not required to undertake procedural steps not expressly mandated by statute when issuing route permits. This decision relied on the interpretation of s