Ahmedabad: Leapfrogging from Medieval to Modern Mobility

Abstract

Ahmedabad, being a compact city with high density and good mix of land use, is characterised by shorter trip lengths, lower fatality rates and less congestion than is found in many other Indian cities. The region of Greater Ahmedabad has potential for development, and is at present in a phase of growth and expansion. Managing this growth in such a way as to retain its compact nature and at the same time improve its public transport system are the main objectives of the city’s various transport and urban development plans. Technologically advanced mass transit modes, such as metro and Bus Rapid Transit, are being designed to improve mobility within the Greater Ahmedabad region. As the city aspires to shift towards modernised modes of public transport, the age-old mobility culture that has evolved from its people’s customs and lifestyle cannot be disregarded. Tractors, shared autorickshaws, animal-driven carts and the like cater to the mobility needs of the citizens even today, alongside the newly introduced BRT system. The introduction of modern transport systems and technology in Ahmedabad has to be considered against a backdrop of existing modes and systems that date back centuries, and with which the people have long been acquainted; this local context makes transport reforms more complex to achieve in this city.