138 KILLED IN AHMEDABAD BUS ACCIDENTS: Official Data Exposes Fatal Toll of Speeding Fleets Over Five Years

Official Ahmedabad Traffic Police records from 2021 to July 2026 reveal that public transit buses have caused 362 accidents across the city, resulting in 138 deaths and leaving 156 citizens severely injured.

The figures show that municipal and state transport fleets—built to offer affordable daily travel—have instead become a persistent hazard on congested urban roads.

AMTS Fleet Records Highest Fatalities Across City Routes

Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) buses, which navigate narrow, densely packed city streets, caused the majority of casualties. Between January 2021 and July 2026, AMTS buses were involved in 185 accidents. These crashes resulted in 62 fatalities, 83 severe injuries, and 40 minor injuries.

The peak occurred in 2023, when AMTS buses recorded 46 individual crashes that claimed 17 lives in a single calendar year.

Dedicated infrastructure has failed to insulate commuters from fatal crashes. The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), operating within segregated lanes designed to isolate transit vehicles from general traffic, recorded 84 accidents over the same five-and-a-half-year period. These incidents left 37 people dead, 34 severely injured, and 13 with minor injuries.

Intercity buses operated by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) passing through municipal limits accounted for another 93 collisions, causing 39 fatalities and 39 severe injuries.

Contract Drivers Face Trip Pressure and Lax Oversight

Private contractors operate the majority of AMTS and BRTS routes under municipal agreements. Traffic officers and safety analysts attribute driver recklessness directly to operational structures.

Drivers work under tight daily schedules with financial penalties for missed runs. To complete scheduled trips on time, operators frequently speed, run red lights, and execute unsafe overtaking maneuvers in crowded lanes.

Enforcement against operating firms remains weak. Following fatal crashes, legal action typically stops at basic police complaints or third-party insurance claims. Municipal authorities rarely impose direct financial penalties or cancel route contracts for private operators, leaving contractors with little incentive to strictly monitor driver behavior or qualifications.

Engineering Flaws and Corridor Trespassing Fuel Rising Crashes

Road safety experts point to specific structural and operational factors driving the casualty numbers:

• Blind Spots: Large city buses have significant blind spots along their front and left sides. Drivers frequently fail to see pedestrians and two-wheelers when pulling away from stops or making left turns.

• Corridor Trespassing: Commuters routinely enter segregated BRTS corridors to bypass traffic congestion or jump signals at intersections, leaving high-speed buses unable to brake in time.

• Driver Fatigue: Long shifts combined with target-driven trip goals lead to extreme fatigue and reduced reaction times.

• Lack of Defensive Training: Contract drivers rarely receive formal defensive driving instruction for heavy passenger vehicles.

Safety Experts Outline Mandatory Technical Overhauls

To curb bus-related fatalities, safety analysts recommend immediate changes to municipal transport policy:

1. Active Speed Control: Activate live GPS tracking and Intelligent Driver Logging across all fleets, with automated control-room alerts whenever a bus exceeds 40–50 km/h.

• Proximity Technology: Install Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), side proximity sensors, and convex blind-spot mirrors to give drivers audible warnings near pedestrian stops.

• Contract Penalties: Revise municipal contract terms to introduce heavy financial fines for agencies involved in fatal crashes, alongside mandatory license revocations for repeat infractions.

• Automated Barriers: Fit BRTS corridor junctions with automated boom barriers or sensor-linked traffic signals to prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering dedicated transit lanes.