Public Transport Fares to Rise in Jammu & Kashmir from January 1, 2026

Public Transport Fares to Rise in Jammu & Kashmir from January 1, 2026

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved an 18% increase in public transport fares across the Union Territory, effective from January 1, 2026. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary, Finance Department, Santosh D. Vaidhya.

J&K Transport Fare Hike 2026 – Key Highlights

• Fare Increase: 18%

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026

• Applies To: Public transport services across Jammu & Kashmir

• Decision Taken By: Finance Department, J&K Government

• Final Implementation: After formal notification by Transport Department

The revised fare structure will be notified officially before implementation.

High-Level Meeting on Transport Fare Revision

The decision was taken after extensive deliberations in a meeting attended by senior government officials, including:

• Santosh D. Vaidhya – Principal Secretary, Finance Department

• Avny Lavasa – Secretary, Transport Department

• Anju Gupta – Acting Transport Commissioner, J&K

• Abdul Rashid War – Managing Director, JKRTC

• Rohit Sharma – Additional Secretary, GAD

• Vikas Anand – Joint Transport Commissioner

• Jasmeet Singh – Regional Transport Officer, Jammu

• Officials from the Planning & Development Department

The Regional Transport Officer Kashmir participated through virtual mode.

Transporters’ Demand and Reasons for Fare Hike

Representatives of the All J&K Transport Welfare Association, led by its Chairman Karan Singh Wazir, also participated in the meeting.

Key Issues Raised

• Continuous rise in fuel prices

• Increased tax burden

• Growing maintenance and operational costs

• No fare revision in the last five years

The association emphasized that transport operators were facing severe financial pressure, making a fare revision unavoidable.

Government Decision on Fare Revision

After considering all factors, the Principal Secretary Finance accepted the demand and approved an 18% hike in public transport fares across the Union Territory.

Officials clarified that:

• The revised fares will be implemented from January 1, 2026

• A formal notification will be issued by the Transport Department shortly

What Commuters Should Know

• Public transport fares will increase uniformly

• The new rates will apply to buses and other public transport services

• Passengers should check revised fare charts once officially notified

Commuters and transport operators are advised to check the official Transport Department notification or government PDF for the detailed revised fare structure before January 1, 2026. (GNS)