Vehicle Count in Jammu & Kashmir Doubles in Eight Years

The number of vehicles in Jammu & Kashmir has doubled during the past eight years, indicating growing urbanization, lifestyle change, and economic growth. Government data showed that, as in 2023, the number of vehicles was more than doubled according to 2015 that has brought convenience but puts a tremendous burden over the transport system.

Though rising vehicle numbers mean easy commuting, they also mean traffic congestion and increasing pollution. Experts opine that soaring private vehicle ownership is at worst worsening the traffic situation in cities like Srinagar and Jammu, where such parking problems, slow-moving traffic, and air pollution have actually become very troublesome.

In order to address such concerns, the government has taken several initiatives such as improving public transport, constructing new roads and flyovers, and promoting electric vehicles. Nevertheless, the experts exclaim that, unless there is proper urban island planning and modalities in rethinking our transport system, correcting these will remain tougher in perpetuity.

Local residents have called for stricter measures to ease such congestions. Many reckon that an expansion of public transport services, along with stricter rules regarding ownership of private vehicles, could manage to keep a check on traffic and pollution levels.

While the increase in vehicle numbers in Jammu & Kashmir can be taken as an indication of economic progress, it poses a formidable challenge to the region's transportation infrastructure, and solving this problem, therefore, demands well-founded, planned solutions for sustainability.