J&K’s vehicle count crosses 27 lakh, roads buckle under pressure

Srinagar, Feb 22: Anyone caught in Srinagarís evening gridlock doesnít need official data to know the roads are under strain.

But the numbers confirm the daily frustration: Jammu and Kashmir now has more than 27.36 lakh registered vehicles, while the total road network stretches roughly 41,141 km – a figure that has seen little change even as the vehicle count rises year after year.

At the end of 2024-25, the total registered fleet – public and private combined – stood at 27,36,197 vehicles.

During that financial year alone, 1,69,012 new vehicles were added.

The momentum has continued into 2025-26, with another 1,47,448 vehicles registered up to December.

That translates to nearly 67 vehicles for every kilometre of road.

In a region where large portions of the network pass through mountains, roads remain closed during winter or narrow down to single-lane stretches, that ratio carries more weight than it would in the plains.

A senior transport official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the geography makes comparisons with other states misleading.

ìYou cannot look at our road-to-vehicle ratio the same way you would for a flat state. A kilometre of road here simply cannot handle the same traffic volume,î he said.

Responsibility for maintaining the road network is divided among several agencies.

The Roads and Buildings Department manages around 24,000 kilometres across the Jammu and Kashmir divisions.

Other stretches fall under PMGSY, the Border Roads Organisation, NHAI, and NHIDCL. National Highways – critical for inter-regional connectivity – account for just over 1750 kilometres.

For a fleet of over 27 lakh vehicles, that is a heavy load, especially given frequent disruptions from landslides, snow, and flash floods.

The government points to ongoing projects as evidence of progress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year inaugurated the Sonamarg Tunnel, providing an all-weather link on the Srinagar-Leh route, and laid the foundation for widening National Highway-701 between Rafiabad and Kupwara.

In addition, 316 road projects covering 1781 kilometres have been sanctioned under PMGSY-IV for J&K.

However, infrastructure projects in the region often face delays due to terrain and weather conditions.

Meanwhile, vehicle registrations continue to climb steadily each month, widening the gap between demand and capacity.

In response, the Transport Department has focused on regulation and digitisation.

Services like driving licences, vehicle registration, and fitness certificates now fall under the Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011, with most processes handled online through the VAHAN and SARATHI platforms.

During 2025-26 up to December, the department issued 1.01 lakh new driving licences, renewed 70,153, granted 8306 fresh fitness certificates and renewed 73,962 more.

An Intelligent Traffic Management System – featuring red-light violation detection cameras, automatic number plate recognition, and an e-challan system  has also been introduced to strengthen enforcement.

The department has also issued licences to 11 cab aggregators, including OLA and UBER, formalising the ride-hailing sector, particularly in Srinagar.

Fare revisions for private operators are reviewed in consultation with stakeholders to prevent sudden increases that could burden commuters.

However, revenue figures suggest challenges remain.

Against a target of Rs 1530 crore for 2025-26, the department has collected Rs 706.35 crore up to December, less than half the annual goal.

Two major projects – the Institute of Drivers Training and Research (IDTR) and the Inspection and Certification Centre (ICC) – are under construction and expected to improve driver training standards and vehicle fitness monitoring.

Yet experts argue that better regulation alone will not resolve congestion.