Ahmedabad traffic woes deepen amid poor coordination, town planning scheme criticised

Ahmedabad’s traffic situation is worsening by the day, with commuters and citizens blaming both the Traffic Police and the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for ineffective Town Planning (TP) scheme and poor coordination.

Normally, a TP is announced keeping in mind the city’s traffic needs for the next 50 years. However, the roads provided in the current TP schemes are relatively small, and because of the heavy pressure on these roads, it is becoming difficult to resolve the traffic issues.

The current town planning schemes in Ahmedabad are being implemented only in name. Traffic conditions are not being properly considered, and roads narrower than 60 feet are being developed. These roads are proving insufficient for the city’s traffic needs, and excessive pressure is being put on TP scheme roads, which is impacting overall traffic management.

Experts say that when a TP is planned, future commercial and residential complexes around the roads should also be taken into account. Proper parking and traffic arrangements require coordination with the traffic police. However, in most cases, traffic department officials are not consulted before a TP is announced.

Notably, to create an appropriate plan for Ahmedabad’s traffic system, senior officials have repeatedly corresponded with the AMC seeking cooperation. Yet, adequate support from municipal officials has not been forthcoming, and this has been raised at higher levels as well.

On the other hand, the Ahmedabad Traffic Police frequently announce various action plans, but their implementation lasts only a few days, after which the traffic situation returns to its previous state. Moreover, instead of working to regulate traffic at key points, police and TRB staff are often focused on meeting memo-issuing targets.

As a result, rather than improving, the city’s traffic system continues to deteriorate due to the inefficiency of the traffic department, uncoordinated TP planning, and the overall lack of interdepartmental cooperation.