Ahmedabad Civic Body Submits Traffic Management Update to High Court

Ahmedabad: Nearly eight years after the Gujarat High Court raised concerns over traffic chaos, encroachments, and pedestrian safety in Ahmedabad, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has submitted an affidavit detailing its measures to address these issues. The civic body has urged the court to close pending contempt proceedings against it.

The affidavit, filed on Wednesday by Municipal Commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani, asserts that the AMC has substantially complied with the court’s directives and denies any wilful or deliberate disobedience. The proceedings stem from a public interest litigation filed in 2017 by Mustak Hussain Mehndi Hussain Kadri, through Advocate Amit Panchal, which alleged non-implementation of the High Court’s 2018 directions on traffic and road safety.

Pani, who assumed office in February 2025, informed the court that the AMC reviewed earlier orders and a January 2026 directive requiring a comprehensive traffic management policy. In response, the AMC and Ahmedabad Traffic Police jointly developed the "Comprehensive Policy, 2026," focusing on engineering improvements, enforcement, public awareness, education, and periodic evaluation of traffic measures.

The affidavit highlights several interventions undertaken over the past year. Of the 321 traffic junctions identified for improvement, work has been completed at 206. Additionally, 37 of 100 major junctions selected for scientific redesign have been revamped, with work ongoing at others. The AMC has also implemented free-left-turn improvements, installed thousands of road signs and safety markers, and carried out extensive road marking projects.

A key initiative under the AMC’s traffic management strategy is the rollout of an Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS). This system aims to integrate hundreds of signalised intersections into a centralised traffic management platform, with over 400 junctions already surveyed for the project. Furthermore, the civic body has added 115 new roads, spanning over 32 kilometres, to the city’s road network between April and mid-June this year.

Parking management has also been a focus area. Surveys were conducted along “Zero Tolerance Roads,” and notices were issued to commercial establishments lacking adequate parking facilities. The AMC has proposed a digital platform to allow private property owners to share unused parking spaces with the public.

Efforts to enhance public transport include plans to procure nearly 2,000 electric buses and the development of an Integrated Transport Management System. This system aims to unify ticketing for AMTS, BRTS, Metro Rail, and GSRTC services.

On the enforcement front, joint teams of civic officials and traffic police have conducted anti-encroachment and parking enforcement drives, addressing over 12,000 encroachment complaints in 2025, most of which have been resolved.

The AMC also highlighted its interventions at chronic traffic bottlenecks and maintained that its actions demonstrate continuous compliance with the High Court’s directives to address Ahmedabad’s traffic and mobility challenges.

In its affidavit, the AMC emphasized that urban traffic management is a dynamic process requiring ongoing efforts and periodic adjustments. It requested the court to close the contempt proceedings, asserting that the measures undertaken reflect its commitment to implementing the court’s directions. The High Court is expected to hear the matter in the coming weeks.