The urgent need for transport worker welfare in J&K

By: Bhushan Parimoo

The transport industry in Jammu & Kashmir serves as the vital economic and social lifeline of the region. The drivers and conductors who steer it under hazardous working conditions, severe financial instability, and a total lack of social security benefits.

As observed, there is a critical disconnect between central welfare frameworks and ground reality. While ambitious infrastructure mandates and welfare initiatives look exemplary on paper, their practical implementation in J&K remains a distant dream, leaving drivers exposed to severe human, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities.

They have to face, per force, extreme vagaries of weather and environmental conditions in all seasons due to factors entirely beyond their control.

Long hours in vehicles, heat exhaustion, and fatigue during summer months. Winter driving introduces freezing temperatures, icy roads, and dense fog, which dramatically increase accident risks and cause physical discomfort.

They must adhere to strict public transit timetables regardless of sudden weather shifts or severe storm warnings.

When drivers are stranded due to poor road conditions without access to shelter, clean food, water, or medical kits, the immediate priority is to ensure basic survival safety, conserve physical energy, and use emergency lines or passing vehicles to signal for help.

Tricky terrain and severe road safety challenges

Tricky mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather, and long transit times make driving exceptionally hazardous.

It faces severe road safety challenges with high numbers of accidents and fatalities. According to data presented by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Parliament, the region experiences a disproportionately high fatality risk per accident due to challenging terrain and treacherous highway stretches.

While transport volume grows exponentially, the underlying infrastructure lags behind. It impacts daily life, economic growth, and safety.

The Supreme Court of India and various High Courts have repeatedly ruled that the Right to Life includes the right to safe, motorable roads. Negligent road maintenance that leads to accidents or cuts off access to healthcare is increasingly viewed as a violation of this right.

It requires achieving a structural shift to ensure their safety, well-being, and dignity. This requires coordinated action from both the government and civil society across three main pillars.

Linking road safety and driver amenities to the Right to Life

Hon’ble Supreme Court of India marks a major step forward, officially linking road safety and driver amenities to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

By ordering the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to build truck lay-byes and wayside amenities every 75 km, the court addresses a long-standing gap in driver welfare.

The Court stated that safe travel on public roads is a basic human right.

Observe severe collisions are caused by stationary trucks blocking high-speed lanes. As such, issued a nationwide order in April 2026 banning heavy and commercial vehicles from parking.

To prevent highways from becoming “corridors of peril,” the Supreme Court mandated that every wayside amenity must include:

• For long-route drivers to sleep and fight fatigue.

• Clean, functional washrooms and toilets to ensure basic human dignity.

• Dedicated, secure parking zones to eliminate dangerous roadside parking.

• Food & Health: Eateries, first-aid facilities, and clear retro-reflective signage for night visibility.

State-level enforcement

The Jammu and Kashmir government must coordinate actively with NHAI to identify specific high-risk stretches along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH 44) and other critical routes to expedite construction.

Local administrations must ensure NHAI’s Wayside Amenities (WSAs) are functional and accessible.

These toilets, dormitories, and water facilities must be regularly cleaned and maintained, rather than left derelict.

Transport unions and local authorities need to run awareness campaigns so that drivers and their assistants know where these “Apna Ghar” stations and WSAs are located and how to access them.

It is a legal obligation to ensure that the backbone of the transport industry can work and live with dignity.

The Government of India and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are legally bound and actively expanding infrastructure to ensure long-haul commercial drivers have access to dignified resting facilities.

This initiative specifically transforms highway petrol pumps into safe, comfortable, and highly affordable resting hubs for long-haul drivers.

The invisible burden on transport workers

Most drivers and assistants work in the unorganized sector without fixed salaries. They rely on daily bookings, which are heavily disrupted by seasonal shifts, frequent highway closures, and economic fluctuations.

Unsafe Working Conditions: Navigating treacherous terrain — like the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH44) — exposes workers to landslides, extreme weather, and high accident risks. Long hours without proper rest stops lead to physical exhaustion.

Lack of Social Security: The majority of these workers lack formal contracts, provident funds, health insurance, or pension schemes, leaving them and their families highly vulnerable to emergencies.

Regulatory agencies and enforcement officers are legally required to treat drivers with professionalism, respect, and dignity.

When officers subject drivers to rough, abusive, or inhumane treatment, it violates professional standards, agency codes of conduct, and often civil rights laws.

(The writer is a Jammu-based Environmentalist and Social Activist)