Raja Syed Rather
Jammu & Kashmir has recorded more than 7000 bus accidents during the past two decades.
In response to a query about bus accidents raised by MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti in Lok Sabha, the Union Ministry of Road and Transport stated that hundreds of bus accidents continue to be reported annually across the country.
The data shared by the union ministry revealed that J&K recorded 1,494 bus accidents in 2004, number dropped to 612 in 2008. However, the trend did not remain consistent, with accidents rising again to 1590 in 2014 and 1,583 in 2015.
A decline was observed in 2017, with just 399 cases, but the numbers fluctuated again in subsequent years—425 in 2018, 344 in 2019, 348 in 2020, 412 in 2021, and 357 in 2022.
In Ladakh, separate accident data was not recorded until 2021, when no bus accidents were reported. However, in 2022, 36 bus accidents occurred.
Responding to the data, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, as per KNO, said that the government has implemented several measures to improve road safety, including road safety audits, rectification of accident-prone black spots, and new vehicle safety norms.
He said that the National Road Safety Strategy has also been expanded to cover Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, aiming to reduce traffic-related fatalities further.
Authorities have introduced stricter enforcement of traffic laws, awareness programs for drivers, and improved emergency response systems to address the issue.
Also, the installation of crash barriers, better road engineering, and the promotion of modern safety technologies in public transport vehicles are among the key initiatives.
