The Jammu and Kashmir government has recorded a 13.6 per cent decline in road accidents over the past three years, with the number of incidents falling from 6,120 in 2023 to 5,287 in 2025, officials said on Monday.
The downward trend is attributed to improved enforcement, extensive road safety awareness programmes and the strengthening of road safety mechanisms across the Union Territory. Official data show that accidents dropped to 5,726 in 2024 before further decreasing in 2025.
Several initiatives were undertaken during 2024 and 2025, including over 10,000 awareness programmes each year, health and eye check-ups of drivers, and first-aid training. The government also implemented the Good Samaritan and Road Accident Victim Fund (RAVF) schemes to provide cashless treatment for victims.
According to the officials, traffic enforcement agencies have shifted fully to the e-challan system. In 2024, authorities issued 40,197 e-challans, seized 429 vehicles and suspended 2,259 driving licences. Enforcement intensified in 2025 with 52,543 e-challans issued, 1,528 vehicles seized and 1,641 driving licences suspended. Additionally, 10,439 vehicles were blacklisted and 1,192 registration certificates were cancelled in 2025.
Preventive measures included an audit of 4,545 registered school buses in 2025. Officials found that 472 buses were defective, 450 of which rectified the issues following formal notices. Similarly, 102 driving training schools were inspected, with 81 found compliant while 21 were served notices, the officials said, adding that speed-limiting devices are also being checked during vehicle fitness certification.
The road safety policy, originally notified in 2016, was revised in 2025 to align with the national standards on the recommendations of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety. To bolster enforcement, the government procured 213 motorcycles, 19 mobile interceptor vehicles, 16 highway patrol vehicles, 23 cranes, 685 body-worn cameras, 64 breath alcohol analysers and other traffic control infrastructure through the Road Safety Fund, they said.
The Legal Metrology Department inspected 218 helmet sellers to ensure the sale of BIS-marked helmets, booked 69 cases and seized 4,750 substandard helmets.
Intelligent Traffic Management Systems are now operational in Jammu and Srinagar under the Smart City Mission. A 107.32-crore rupee project covering 25 junctions and 188 corridors has been planned for the rest of the Union Territory, the officials said, adding that further road safety audits are now mandatory for new road projects.
The officials said compensation under the RAVF remains Rs 1 lakh for death, Rs 75,000 for permanent disability, Rs 50,000 for grievous injury and Rs 10,000 for minor injury.
The Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) continues to provide services to remote and interstate areas. While there is a proposal for an e-bus from Jammu to Patnitop and Sudhmahadev-Mantalai, officials deemed it presently “not feasible” due to a lack of charging infrastructure beyond Udhampur.
The JKRTC currently operates 20 electric buses on city routes with a 100-kilometre range, though a proposal to procure 200 more electric buses under the PM e-Drive scheme is underway, they said.
