Bhupesh Chaudhary, Administrative Secretary, Transport Department, UT of Ladakh chaired a high-level meeting at the UT Secretariat on May 21  to review existing transport-related legislations and examine potential reforms in line with the Government of India’s Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) and Jan Vishwas initiative. These initiatives aim to improve Ease of Doing Business through simplification, digitisation, and decriminalisation of minor regulatory provisions.

The meeting involved a comprehensive discussion on key laws including the Central Motor Vehicles Act, the Jammu & Kashmir Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, the Jammu & Kashmir Passenger Taxation Act, and the Highways Act. The review focused on identifying redundant, outdated, or overly penal provisions that may be streamlined to promote efficient governance and citizen-centric service delivery.

Secretary Chaudhary asked the department to examine the feasibility of omitting Schedule I and Schedule II of the J&K Motor Vehicles Taxation Act in the context of Ladakh, and to explore a restructured taxation framework that is progressive and administratively viable for the Union Territory. He also highlighted the need to rationalise fines and penalties applicable to public transport operators to ensure a fair and compliance-friendly regulatory regime.

The Secretary further instructed the Public Law Officer (PLO) to conduct a thorough legal review of the applicability of the J&K Passenger Taxation Act within Ladakh and to identify provisions eligible for decriminalisation under the Jan Vishwas framework.

Recognising the need for technology-driven solutions, the Secretary directed the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Ladakh, to initiate discussions with local transport unions on revising the passenger taxation structure and to take expeditious steps towards implementing electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) to enhance transparency and convenience for commuters.

The meeting was attended by the Regional Transport Officer, Chief Accounts Officer, Deputy Secretary (Transport), and Public Law Officer of the Transport Department, UT Ladakh.