AMC plans railings on 90 Ahmedabad roads to improve pedestrian safety, ease encroachment

The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has planned to install grill railings along 90 roads across seven zones of the city in an effort to improve pedestrian safety and prevent vehicles from encroaching onto footpaths.

The move comes even as the civic body continues to face difficulties in clearing encroachments from footpaths across all 48 wards of Ahmedabad.

According to civic officials, the highest number of railings, on 35 roads, will be installed in the western zone, with a special focus on the safety of senior citizens, children and persons with disabilities.

Officials said the work forms part of a broader plan for redevelopment and traffic management at major junctions across the city.

Under the policy, safety railings and roadside protective barriers are being installed to stop vehicles from climbing onto footpaths and to discourage illegal parking and encroachments along pedestrian pathways.

According to AMC data, railings will be installed on 10 roads in the South-West Zone, 13 in the South Zone, seven in the North-West Zone, 12 in the North Zone, five in the Central Zone and eight in the East Zone.

In the Jodhpur ward, railings measuring 100 metres and 50 metres have already been installed near Riddhi Tower and Lotus School, respectively.

Major roads identified for the installation of railings include CG Road, Ashram Road, IIM-Helmet Circle Road, Commerce Six Roads to CN Circle, Stadium Five Roads to Sardar Patel Bavla, Mithakhali Circle area, Vastrapur Lake Front, Gurukul Road and stretches between Sabarmati Railway Station and Chandkheda Circle.

Other identified corridors include routes near Visat Circle, Jivraj Park Crossroads, Memnagar Crossroads and the Motera-Koba Metro stretch.

Meanwhile, civic officials said Ahmedabad was currently facing persistent traffic congestion at 108 major junctions, including during non-peak hours.

Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani has reportedly instructed officials to redesign oversized footpaths at congested junctions and create free left-turn lanes to improve traffic flow.

In a separate initiative, the AMC has also decided to introduce Google Maps-based technology for traffic management in the city.

Officials said the system would use live traffic data and AI-based planning through a “Traffic Care” platform to monitor and manage congestion on busy traffic corridors.

The civic body said the pilot project would not require installation of additional cameras or sensors, as it would rely on existing data from Google Maps to improve traffic regulation and mobility planning in Ahmedabad.