Govt approves 18% hike in transport fares in J&K
Jammu, Dec 24 (KINS):  The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved an 18 per cent increase in public transport fares following a high-level meeting held here Tuesday evening.
The meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary to the Government, Finance Department, Santosh D. Vaidhya, and 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 participated in the meeting through virtual mode.
Chairman of the All J&K Transport Welfare Association (AJKTWA), Karan Singh Wazir, along with other office bearers including Vijay Singh Chib, Mohammad Yousuf, Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Mohammad Latief, Ghulam Rasool, Sanjeev Choudhary and Vijay Dogra, also attended the meeting.
During the deliberations, the AJKTWA representatives strongly put forth their demand, stating that no revision in public transport fares had been granted over the past nearly five years. They highlighted the sharp rise in fuel prices, taxes and operational costs, asserting that transporters were facing severe financial stress.
After detailed discussions, the Principal Secretary, Finance, agreed to the demand and approved an 18 per cent hike in public transport fares. It was decided that the revised fares will come into effect from January 1, 2026. (KINS)