AMC Urges Pedestrians to Follow Traffic Rules Despite Footpath Shortage

Even as Ahmedabad continues to struggle with inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has launched an appeal urging citizens to follow traffic rules while walking on city roads.

The civic body has advised pedestrians to use zebra crossings, pedestrian signals and foot overbridges while crossing roads. It has also urged motorists to obey speed limits, traffic signals and give priority to pedestrians at zebra crossings.

Footpaths available on only 25-30% of roads

The advisory comes despite a major infrastructure gap in the city. Ahmedabad has an estimated 5,500 km road network, but only 25-30% of roads are equipped with footpaths.

Even where footpaths exist, many remain unusable due to encroachments, illegal occupation and vehicle parking, forcing pedestrians to walk on carriageways and navigate through moving traffic.

Basic pedestrian facilities missing in many areas

Several parts of the city continue to face a lack of essential pedestrian infrastructure. In many locations:

• Footpaths are incomplete or absent.
• Zebra crossings have faded over time.
• Pedestrian signals are either unavailable or non-functional.
• Safe crossing facilities are inadequate.

As a result, pedestrians are often compelled to walk alongside vehicles or cross busy roads without designated infrastructure.

Civic appeal amid persistent traffic violations

AMC has also appealed to motorists to strictly adhere to traffic regulations by maintaining speed limits, obeying signals and giving way to pedestrians.

However, issues such as overspeeding, wrong-side driving and encroachment of footpaths continue to remain major concerns across Ahmedabad.

Experts seek infrastructure before awareness drives

Road safety experts believe public awareness is important, but argue that awareness campaigns alone are unlikely to reduce accidents unless they are backed by better infrastructure.

According to experts, safe and continuous footpaths, encroachment-free pedestrian corridors, functional pedestrian signals and stricter enforcement of traffic rules are essential to improve pedestrian safety in the city.