AHMEDABAD: The city’s traffic troubles have repeatedly landed in the Gujarat high court over the years. Now, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) says it has a comprehensive plan to tackle everything from congestion and illegal parking to road safety and emergency response. In an affidavit filed before the HC, the civic body presented a detailed account of its traffic, parking, and road safety initiatives, claiming that a citywide mobility overhaul is underway.The report was submitted after the HC sought an update on the implementation of its earlier directions.
Municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani filed an affidavit before the HC in response to a contempt petition moved by advocate Amit Panchal. The plea alleged non-compliance with a slew of directions issued by HC in 2017 and 2018 regarding road maintenance, smooth traffic movement, and curbing cattle menace on public roads.During a hearing on April 27, the HC summoned the civic chief and directed him to submit a report on enforcement of the Comprehensive Policy-2026. In the affidavit, Pani informed HC about measures being taken on traffic management, road safety, encroachment removal, parking regulation, and related civic issues. He assured the court that the implementation is ongoing, and detailed reports will continue to be submitted.Five pillars of mobilityAccording to the commissioner, the policy rests on five key pillars: engineering, enforcement, encouragement, education, and evaluation. The programme is being implemented through coordinated efforts of the engineering, estate, town planning, and traffic engineering departments, along with anti-encroachment teams and the Ahmedabad traffic police.
Smart traffic and tech upgradesOne of the flagship projects highlighted before the court is the Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS), which aims to connect 373 signalised junctions through a centralised traffic management platform. The system will use intelligent controllers, communication networks, vehicle detection technology, traffic simulation software, and central servers to optimise traffic flow. AMC informed the court that surveys have already been completed at more than 400 junctions.The affidavit also highlighted the development of iconic roads designed to improve commuter convenience, pedestrian safety, and urban aesthetics. These projects include footpaths, cycle tracks, jogging tracks, street furniture, and improved lighting, alongside ongoing flyovers, railway overbridges, foot overbridges, underpasses, and road-widening works intended to reduce congestion.
Data-driven managementOn the enforcement front, AMC stated that the joint enforcement teams (JETs) comprising officials from the estate, solid waste management, and traffic police departments, have been formed to tackle encroachments and traffic violations.The civic body has also proposed a data-driven approach through a Road Management Insights (RMI) pilot project that will use Google Maps traffic analytics through the TraffiCure platform. According to AMC, the initiative is expected to improve transparency, accountability, and the effectiveness of traffic interventions.Enhancing emergency responseThe report further stated that efforts are being made to ensure unobstructed movement of ambulances, fire tenders, police vehicles, and disaster-response teams through coordinated action among agencies. AMC claimed that a combination of engineering improvements, enforcement drives, and traffic management measures has already helped improve emergency response times.
