HC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Traffic Management Issues in Ahmedabad

The Gujarat High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of traffic management issues following a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) decision to construct a flyover at the Panjarapol junction.

The high court emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive review of the city’s traffic infrastructure and management. The PIL has exposed several critical problems with Ahmedabad’s road network, particularly on the busy Sarkhej-Gandhinagar (SG) Road.

The court stated, “We find it fit and proper to take a holistic view of the traffic problems being faced by the denizens of Ahmedabad city due to poor or inadequate road infrastructure and mismanagement of traffic. We also find it fit in the interest of justice to take cognizance of the above-referred issues in a suo motu public interest litigation.”

A bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi, acknowledged the significance of the issues raised in the writ petition, Dharini Shah vs. State of Gujarat, classifying them as matters of “paramount public importance.” The petition highlighted severe traffic mismanagement and the lack of crucial road infrastructure, including service roads and footbridges.

The division bench also questioned the AMC’s decision-making process regarding the proposed flyover at the Panjarapol junction. It noted potential flaws in the decision, especially given reports from the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and IITRAM from 2012, which indicated that the traffic volume at the junction did not justify the construction of a flyover. The reports suggested that there was no significant traffic issue at Panjarapol junction to warrant such a project.

Advocate Pitamber Abhichandani has been appointed as amicus curiae (friend of the court). Notices have been issued to various state and Union government authorities, including the AMC, Auda, the state roads and buildings department, the home department, Gujarat DGP, and the National Highways Authority of India.

As an immediate measure, the state chief secretary has been directed to ensure strict adherence to traffic rules. The court has also ordered the identification and marking of accident-prone areas to enhance safety measures.

The case has been scheduled for further hearing on August 22, 2024.