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Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cept to draft 3.1cr urban mobility plan
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) has commissioned Cept University to prepare a new comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) as part of its long-term urban mobility strategy for the city. The Rs 3.10 crore project will guide transportation infrastructure and public transit integration over the next two decades, aligning with the upcoming City Development Plan 2041. This development comes after Auda's previous mobility plan, prepared in 2021 for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, could not be effectively implemented. It had been developed by Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC) with Cept University working as its subcontractor. "Auda's current jurisdiction spans 159 villages and five municipalities — Sanand, Kalol, Bareja, Dahegam, and Mahemdabad — across Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Kheda districts," said a senior Auda official, adding, "The authority has emphasized the need for comprehensive transportation planning covering the next 20 years." You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad "The new mobility plan will integrate various public transport agencies including metro, state transport, AMTS, BRTS, mono rail and regional rail to enhance public transport capacity and effectiveness," said the Auda official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo With India aspiring to host the 2036 Olympics, this plan becomes crucial for providing integrated and seamless transport services." The approval process began when Auda wrote to the state govt's urban development department (UDD) on Oct 12, 2023, followed by another letter on Feb 6 last year. "Auda had earlier requested approval and financial assistance under a sub-scheme of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, which subsequently granted in-princple approval with consultant expenses covered," said the Auda official. Cept University, listed at No. 23 on the state ministry's empanelment list for transportation planning consultants, was invited to submit technical and financial bids on Jan 22 this year. The university initially proposed Rs 3.25 crore on Feb 6, but agreed to Rs 3.10 crore after negotiations. Auda's board approved the appointment in June. In Dec 2014, Auda had developed the City Development Plan 2021. This too had transportation standards in focus. "The new development plan 2041 will be Auda's first comprehensive approach to 20-year transportation planning for an expanded metropolitan area of Ahmedabad," the official added.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Gujarat's urban roads not designed for so many cars
Feeling exasperated due to heavy congestion during peak hours on city roads? It's not without reason. In 2024, the city (Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad East RTOs) added 560 two-wheelers and 208 four-wheelers daily. This amounts to addition of approximately one new two-wheeler every three minutes and one four-wheeler every seven minutes. To put the figure in perspective, the 2012 numbers for the same were 499 and 128 respectively, indicating rise of 62.5 per cent in daily registration of four-wheelers and 12.2 per cent for two-wheelers in 12 years. Surat in comparison recorded a moderate rise with daily two-wheeler registrations increasing from 335 to 384 and four-wheelers from 69 to 84 in 12 years, added the report. The figures are quoted in the recently-released 'Report of the High-Level Committee on Urban Planning' by the Urban Development & Urban Housing Department of the govt of Gujarat. The report highlighted that Gujarat added 18 lakh new vehicles in 2024 including 12 lakh two-wheelers and 3.5 lakh four-wheelers. In comparison, early 2000s saw the growth of about 41,000 vehicles in a year. The disproportionate growth of private vehicles puts immense pressure on transport infrastructure, causing congestion, longer travel times, higher emissions and a deteriorating quality of urban life,' the report states. In contrast, just 4,000 buses are added every year in Gujarat, which underscores the alarming disparity between investment in private and public transport. The disproportionate growth of private vehicles puts immense pressure on transport infrastructure, causing congestion, longer travel times, higher emissions and a deteriorating quality of urban life,' the report states. The report flags the city's unpreparedness for such a burgeoning population of cars and motorcycles. 'The trend means that in the three or four years, these numbers in Ahmedabad will match registrations in Bangalore (300 cars/day in 2024) and Delhi by 2031 (500 cars/day in 2024). There is no way that our city infrastructure is geared to accommodate such growth, which will result in total gridlock,' the report reads. Prof Shivanand Swamy, professor emeritus at Cept University and lead author of the section on urban mobility with Prof Shalini Sinha, Keshav Verma (retired IAS officer) and Minal Shetty, told TOI that the roads of Gujarat cities like Ahmedabad are not designed for such high numbers of cars. "Vehicle composition has been changing over the past few years due to many factors and now we are starting to feel the effect, especially during peak hours. It is a multi-pronged problem with requirements for parking space and more infrastructure such as flyovers. Eventually, they do not provide definite solutions - we must look at an efficient public transport system," he said. Prof Swamy added that in many European countries, the per person space available is 3-4 metres, compared to which we have about 0.6 metres in several Indian cities. "Compared to 80-90 buses per 1 lakh people in countries with good public transport, we lag behind by big margin. We may need more than 3,000 buses in the next five or six years or equivalent infrastructure, to serve our growing population and de-congest our roads," he said. The report highlights issues such an increase in road traffic accidents (RTAs) and deteriorating air quality among other effects of the high vehicle population. Some recommendations of experts are statutory planning for urban transport, coordinating urban transport intervention through a central body, strengthening transport planning by state or local govt and improved connectivity between regions.
