Gujarat ministers ignore own govt’s carpooling order, continue solo rides

Even as the Gujarat government urges citizens and government employees to conserve fuel by using public transport and carpooling following the PM’s appeal to save fuel, state ministers continue to travel alone in official vehicles, exposing a glaring gap between the government’s message and its implementation on the ground.

A government circular has directed ministers and senior officials to carpool and use public transport, including buses and metro services, to reduce petrol and diesel consumption. However, the order has largely been confined to paper, sources in the Secretariat said.

Officials pointed out that the distance between ministers’ official residences and the state Secretariat in Gandhinagar is only a few kilometres, yet ministers are reportedly reluctant to travel together.

Critics describe this as a gap between the government’s public messaging on fuel conservation and actual implementation at the ministerial level.

The issue has gained attention at a time when rising fuel prices and inflation continue to affect the general public, while the state government has been urging citizens to use petrol and diesel sparingly.

Critics argued that continued individual use of official vehicles by ministers reflected a persistence of VIP culture despite calls for austerity and efficient fuel use.

Meanwhile, the government has also instructed government servants and employees to prefer public transport and adopt carpooling wherever possible.

Officials, however, have not issued any formal clarification regarding compliance with the directive by ministers and senior office-bearers.