J&K Govt Gives Nod to 18% Transport Fare Hike

Jammu, Dec 23: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday approved an 18 per cent hike in public transport fares following a high-level meeting held here this evening.

The meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary to Government, Finance Department, Santosh D. Vaidhya. It was attended by Secretary Transport Avny Lavasa; Acting Transport Commissioner J&K Anju Gupta; Managing Director JKRTC Abdul Rashid War; Additional Secretary GAD Rohit Sharma; Joint Transport Commissioner Vikas Anand; RTO Jammu Jasmeet Singh; and officials from the Planning and Development Department. RTO Kashmir joined the meeting through virtual mode.

Chairman of the All J&K Transport Welfare Association (AJKTWA), Karan Singh Wazir, along with office bearers Vijay Singh Chib, Mohd Yousuf, Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Mohd Latief, Ghulam Rasool, Sanjeev Choudhary, Vijay Dogra and others, were also present.

During the meeting, the AJKTWA Chairman and members strongly put forth their viewpoint, stating that no hike in public transport fares had been granted for nearly five years. They cited rising fuel prices, increased taxes and mounting operational costs, claiming that transporters were facing severe financial stress.

After prolonged deliberations, the Principal Secretary, Finance, agreed to an 18 per cent increase in transport fares, announcing that the revised rates will come into effect from January 1, 2026.