The Gujarat High Court has criticised the state government and police over weak enforcement of helmet rules, mobile-phone use while driving and road safety violations in Ahmedabad, while the government has told the court that 650 traffic personnel have been recruited and will receive specialised training.
The remarks were made during a suo motu hearing on deteriorating traffic conditions and road safety in Ahmedabad. The acting Chief Justice’s bench sought explanations from the government, particularly in connection with the flyover bridge at Panjrapole crossroads and the city’s continuing traffic problems.
The court questioned why helmet rules were not being enforced more strictly in Gujarat. It observed that many people in the state ride two-wheelers without helmets, including pillion riders, while helmet use for both riders is mandatory in several other states.
The bench also referred to frequent accidents involving dumpers and two-wheelers. According to the report, the court said people regularly lose their lives in such crashes and that riders without helmets are more vulnerable to fatal injuries. It also raised concern that dumpers operating on roads often do not display number plates, making enforcement and identification more difficult.
The court’s observations extended to the use of mobile phones while driving. It said people could be seen speaking on mobile phones while operating vehicles and questioned the lack of police action against such violations. The bench also referred to increasingly risky behaviour, including making video calls while driving and placing mobile phones on car dashboards to watch films on the move.
The court directed the authorities to stop these practices immediately. Its comments placed the focus not only on individual violations but also on the visible enforcement gap on Ahmedabad’s roads, where helmet compliance, dangerous driving and heavy-vehicle regulation are connected to everyday traffic safety.
During the hearing, the Gujarat government submitted an affidavit outlining steps taken to improve traffic management in cities. The government said that 650 traffic personnel had been recruited for traffic-control duties. It further stated that Traffic Brigade, or TRB, personnel would undergo 30 days of specialised traffic training before being deployed for traffic management.
The government’s submission came as the court examined the effectiveness of the existing traffic-control system and the response of police authorities to routine violations. The hearing also brought attention to the role of trained personnel in managing traffic at busy junctions and enforcing road-safety requirements.
The proceedings have therefore linked Ahmedabad’s congestion and accident risks to three immediate enforcement concerns: helmet compliance, mobile-phone use while driving and the regulation of dumpers operating without visible number plates. The government’s next step, as presented to the court, is to train and deploy the recruited personnel for urban traffic control.
