To end stalemate with transporters, J&K govt hikes passenger fare by 30 pc

To end the existing stalemate with transporters on strike, the Jammu and Kashmir government, on Monday, acceded to the demand of the transporters and hiked the passenger fare by 30 per cent till the restrictions imposed on the seating capacity in view of the COVID-19 pandemic are eased.

In an order issued here, the J&K Transport Department accorded sanction to “the charging of 130 per cent of the existing authorised fare (existing authorised fare plus 30 per cent of the existing authorised fare) from the passengers by stage carriage passenger vehicles till further orders or till the restrictions imposed on the seating capacity are eased”.

Following the government’s decision, the transporters have announced to call off their strike and said that they would ply their vehicles from June 24.

“We have called the meeting of all the unions of transporters to thank the government for accepting our demand. The transporters will ply their vehicles from June 24,” said TS Wazir, chairman of All-J&K Transport Welfare Association.

The transporters had been demanding for 50 per cent hike in passenger fare, waiving the interest of the loans taken by transporters and other fees during the lockdown period.

They had argued that the passenger vehicles would be not able to operate with 50 per cent seating capacity to maintain social distancing in the existing fare. All commercial vehicles had stopped operating in Jammu and Kashmir on March 15 and have remained off the road since then in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

TNS