Racing against time, stuck in traffic: Ambulances delayed by up to 5 mins at 23 Ahmedabad hotspots

Ongoing bridge construction, road repairs and traffic diversions across Ahmedabad are delaying 108 ambulance services across at least 23 traffic congestion hotspots. In some critical cases, the disruptions are adding up to five minutes to emergency response times.

The impact comes as the city undergoes large-scale infrastructure work linked to preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. While officials maintain that the projects are expected to strengthen Ahmedabad’s infrastructure in the long term, the disruptions are creating immediate challenges for emergency medical services that depend on rapid movement across the city.

Officials said the average response time for a 108 ambulance in Ahmedabad is around eight minutes. However, ambulances travelling through heavily congested stretches or diversion routes are taking an additional three to five minutes to reach patients.

For emergency responders, even small delays can become significant in cases involving cardiac emergencies, trauma, severe injuries or other time-sensitive medical situations.

Infrastructure work creating bottlenecks

The 108 emergency service, often regarded as a key lifeline during medical emergencies, is facing difficulties navigating blocked roads, diversions and increasing traffic congestion across several parts of the city.

Some areas have emerged as major traffic bottlenecks due to ongoing construction activity. These include Subhash Bridge, Kalupur railway station and the Sabarmati Ashram area.

Subhash Bridge remains blocked for traffic movement, reconstruction work is underway near Sabarmati Ashram, Kaligam Road remains closed, while congestion around Kalupur railway station has continued to intensify.

The ongoing construction and road restrictions have affected regular traffic flow, creating obstacles for emergency vehicles attempting to move quickly through densely populated areas.

Ambulances repositioned to reduce delays

Ahmedabad currently receives nearly 700 emergency calls every day. According to sources, authorities are attempting to minimise disruptions by strategically positioning ambulances near locations considered vulnerable to delays.

The measure is aimed at reducing the impact of diversions and road closures and helping emergency teams reach patients more quickly.

However, ambulance movement continues to be affected at several major routes where diversions, roadwork and heavy traffic movement overlap.

List of key traffic hotspots

Among the areas identified as major congestion points are:

Narol–Pirana Road

Hathijan–Ropda overbridge

Hatkeshwar bridge

Jamalpur bridge

Shahibaug underpass

Narol–Sarkhej bridge route

Bagodara bridge

Asarwa bridge

Chamunda bridge–Rakhial Road stretch

Singarva–Odhav bridge route

Officials say these and other affected locations have become difficult corridors for emergency movement because of either ongoing construction activity, diversions or sustained traffic pressure.

Long-term gains versus immediate challenges

Authorities have argued that the projects underway are intended to improve Ahmedabad’s transport network and infrastructure capacity in the years ahead.

For now, however, the impact is also being felt in emergency healthcare responses, where delays of a few minutes can affect the time taken for medical assistance to reach people during life-threatening situations.