SRINAGAR: Road fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir have fallen from 1,090 in 2024 to 756 up to mid-September 2026, while the number of road accidents has also declined, the government said during a review of road safety measures chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo.
The number of accidents has fallen to 4,222 during the current period from the 2024 baseline of 5,808, according to figures presented at the meeting.
The government is targeting a reduction in road fatalities to 600 or fewer by 2027 and 450 by 2030.
Dulloo directed executing agencies to complete the rectification of identified black spots and hazardous road stretches within fixed timelines. He called for engineering deficiencies to be addressed through both immediate and long-term corrective measures and said identified safety shortcomings should not be allowed to persist.
The Chief Secretary also directed all District Road Safety Committees, headed by the respective District Magistrates, to meet every month, monitor real-time accident data through i-RAD dashboards, assess accident-prone locations and ensure timely removal of remaining infrastructure hazards.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, PWD; Principal Secretary, Home; Secretary, Transport Department Avny Lavasa; Inspector General of Police, Traffic; Transport Commissioner; and representatives of the Border Roads Organisation, National Highways Authority of India, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited and other departments.
The Transport Commissioner has identified 367 black spots across the Union Territory. Of these, 165 have been audited by central agencies and 68 have been fully rectified.
Under the Road Safety Fund, 1,433 roads have undergone a comprehensive audit, while Rs 11.60 crore has been released to 15 districts for immediate corrective measures.
To improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, municipal corporations have constructed 135.85 km of footpaths and cycle tracks, including 39.58 km in Jammu and 96 km in Srinagar. Authorities have also carried out 398 anti-encroachment drives.
The meeting reviewed the first comprehensive Union Territory-wide audit of 15 Level-III Trauma Centres, comprising eight in Jammu and seven in Kashmir. The Health and Medical Education Department has prepared a plan for upgrading the centres with additional manpower and advanced medical equipment to strengthen emergency trauma care during the critical ‘golden hour’ following accidents.
A total of 906 road accident victims have so far received cashless treatment under the PM-RAHAT and Rah-Veer schemes. The Transport Department has also issued orders providing a one-time token tax exemption for the registration and operationalisation of state-owned ambulances.
Technology-based traffic enforcement has expanded, with enforcement agencies issuing 10.39 lakh e-challans during the current year. A detailed project report for Rural Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) has also been prepared, covering 2,144 digital devices across 25 critical corridors and 195 rural junctions.
Traffic Control Units are currently operational in Srinagar, Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur, while 13 more sites are undergoing revenue mutation for expansion.
The infrastructure of the Institute of Driver Training and Research at Kot Bhalwal, Jammu, has been completed. Under a government-approved partnership with Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the institute is scheduled to begin operations next month, including a 45-day commercial driving training programme.
Mass-awareness campaigns on road safety have increased by around 116 per cent, reaching 4,509 during 2026.
As part of enforcement measures, the Transport Commissioner has engaged oil marketing companies to implement the ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’ directive for two-wheelers.
Manual vehicle fitness testing has been discontinued in Jammu and Samba following the introduction of Automated Testing Stations. A further 23 applications from private investors to establish such facilities are under process.
Nine consent letters have also been issued through the National Single Window System for setting up Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities, aimed at facilitating the removal of end-of-life vehicles from roads.
Dulloo called for a coordinated, data-driven and outcome-focused road safety system, with the long-term objective of developing zero-casualty corridors across Jammu and Kashmir.
