PURPOSE: To make the end operation clear by stopping a transport mechanism for transporting a transport case according to a stop command signal and the end of operating state to always complete the operation at the initial transport case position.

CONSTITUTION: In case of applying a transport apparatus to an automatic sorter for mail, motors (not shown) of respective transport paths 17a..., 18a..., 20, 29a... are driven through a motor driving circuit in response to a start signal generated from a control portion of a sorter 1. In CPU, processing is decided according to a tray position detecting signal and the processing step number of a step counter, and according to a decision result, the drive of each transport path is controlled. When a stopper signal is generated during the above operation, a tray 16 is moved by the drive of each transport path, and the above step counter is counted up. When the counted number is coincident with the count number of completion, the motors are stopped driving to stop each tray 16 at its initial position.