Only 12% Amdavadis use public transport, PM’s fuel-saving push has little effect

Repeated appeals by India’s central government and the Gujarat government to conserve fuel by using public transport amid the ongoing fuel crisis seems to have had no effect on Ahmedabad residents.

Ten days after Prime Minister Modi’s appeal, there has been no significant rise in the number of passengers using AMTS buses, BRTS, or Metro Rail in the city.

Authorities have been urging citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption due to the fuel crunch triggered by geopolitical tensions. The Ahmedabad Metro even extended its operational hours till 11 pm to encourage more commuters. 

However, according to sources from AMTS and Metro Rail, there has been no rise in passenger numbers in both services over the past ten days. Instead, ridership has slightly declined due to the heat and school vacations.

BRTS officials claimed that daily ridership has increased marginally by around 1,000 passengers over the last few days, taking the average to around 1.90 lakh commuters per day.

Currently, Ahmedabad’s three major public transport systems together carry around 8.80 lakh passengers daily. This means barely 11 to 12% of the city’s population relies on public transport for commuting.

Officials and transport experts believe that a majority of commuters continue to prefer private vehicles despite rising fuel prices and repeated conservation appeals.

Among office-goers, students and business commuters, more than 80% continue using their own vehicles, especially two-wheelers and cars. Ride-sharing through cabs and taxis has also failed to gain momentum, with many people avoiding shared rides over safety and convenience concerns.

The report further points out that elected representatives, government officials and employees of public institutions have themselves not switched to public transport. MPs, MLAs, municipal officials and political workers continue to travel individually in private cars, while even car-pooling has failed to find acceptance.

Current daily ridership figures in Ahmedabad:

• AMTS – 5.30 lakh passengers

• BRTS – 1.90 lakh passengers

• Metro Rail – 1.60 lakh passengers