Fare for 200 e-buses operating in J&K to be hiked by 7% from April 1

JAMMU, Mar 29: The fare for the 200 e-buses operating across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will be increased by 7% starting April 1st, 2025. This fare hike will apply to all routes where these e-buses currently operate.
The 200 e-buses, which are part of the Smart City Project, consist of 100 buses each in Jammu and Srinagar.
“The decision to increase the fare has been made by the concerned authorities on the directions of the J&K Finance Department,” Ashish Anand, General Manager of Jammu Smart City Lim-ited (JSCL), informed Rising Kashmir.
These e-buses began operating in Jammu and Srinagar in January 2024, after the Union Home Minister flagged off the eco-friendly buses.
According to sources, the Finance Department’s standing order mandates that the fare for e-buses be revised annually. However, since the e-buses began operations in January 2024, a fare revision could not be implemented in that financial year.
“To address the annual revision of operational costs and ensure the continued efficiency of public transport services, the JSCL has revised the fare structure with a 7% increase over the current tar-iff, effective from April 1, 2025,” said a senior official.
The fare hike, as per the Finance Department’s directions, aims to align the rates with the latest operational costs while maintaining high service standards, the official added.