Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir Transport Welfare Association on Tuesday announced a complete shutdown of commercial transport services across the Union Territory on December 15 to protest what it described as anti-transporter policies and administrative decisions impacting livelihoods.
General Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Yousuf said the strike has been called after repeated appeals to authorities failed to yield relief. The shutdown will cover buses, minibuses, taxis, trucks, and other commercial vehicles in both Jammu and Kashmir regions.
Yousuf warned that the transport sector in J&K is “on the verge of collapse” due to official apathy and policy decisions taken “without consultation or compensation.” He said transporters from both divisions have unanimously decided to suspend operations as a one-day token protest.
He alleged that the unregulated expansion of e-buses under the Smart City project has disrupted designated routes of private operators. “We support modernisation, but this transition must be gradual. E-buses are being run without route regulation or a timetable, encroaching on our operational areas and putting small operators at risk,” he said.
The Association also opposed what it called an “unreasonable” hike in fitness fees, green tax, and renewal charges, claiming the increased costs have pushed transporters into financial distress worsened by high fuel rates and shrinking daily earnings.
Indiscriminate issuance of e-challans was another major concern raised. Yousuf said penalties are being issued “without proper verification” and drivers are being forced to pay fines in questionable circumstances. “There has to be accountability in this system,” he added.
He said plans to set up privately managed Automatic Testing Centres could lead to unchecked charges on vehicle owners and further burden small operators.
The Association listed key demands including:
• Regulation of e-buses and halting further expansion until private transporters are offered a level playing field or subsidy-based support to adopt electric vehicles
• A fixed timetable for all e-buses and RTC vehicles to avoid route conflicts
• Rollback of steep tax hikes, including fitness and green tax
• Transparency and accountability in e-challans
Yousuf stressed that transporters have served the public through difficult periods including insurgency, floods, and the COVID pandemic. “The sector received no relief, and yet we continued to operate. Now, when change is coming, we are being pushed aside,” he said.
He said small vehicle owners are already under severe financial strain, often earning less than Rs 12,000 a month after loan repayments. “How can a transporter pay Rs 25,000 for renewal of a 20-year-old vehicle?” he asked.
Calling the December 15 protest “peaceful but firm,” Yousuf said it is intended to draw the government’s attention rather than disrupt public services. He added that after the strike, the Association will give the government a seven-day ultimatum before deciding on an indefinite shutdown if demands remain unaddressed.
“We are not against progress. We are against policies that destroy livelihoods,” he said, urging the administration to engage with transporter bodies and ensure fair treatment to those who have sustained mobility across J&K for decades.
