Kerala directs State Transport Authority to reconsider the uniform colour code for tourist buses

29 September 2026

The Kerala Transport Department has directed the State Transport Authority to reconsider its decision of 11 August 2021 that fixed a uniform colour scheme for contract carriages other than light motor vehicles.
Under the existing code such buses must have the body painted white, with a violet stripe running horizontally across the middle and a thin golden stripe above it.
The government order notes that the All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, do not prescribe a specific colour for the body of tourist vehicles.
Operators had argued that the state restriction puts Kerala-registered buses at a disadvantage against tourist vehicles registered in other states.
Any revision must still comply with a 2019 Kerala High Court judgment restricting displays on buses in the interest of road safety.
The existing colour code is not scrapped by the order; a change will depend on the decision of the State Transport Authority.