Ahmedabad Street Design Flaws Undermine Road Safety
A collapsed traffic calming structure at a key junction in Ahmedabad’s Jodhpur area has drawn attention to deeper gaps in how Indian cities design, install, and maintain road safety infrastructure. What was meant to slow vehicles at the Gheljipura crossroads instead deteriorated into a road hazard, prompting civic authorities to remove it after repeated damage from daily traffic.
The episode unfolded on a busy stretch connecting Mahammadpura Road with the LJ College corridor, an area that sees a mix of private vehicles, buses, and freight movement. Over time, continuous impact from fast-moving traffic caused the concrete hump to disintegrate, leaving behind an uneven surface that increased the risk of accidents rather than reducing it. The incident matters not only as a local maintenance failure, but as a signal of how poorly integrated street design can undermine broader goals of Ahmedabad road safety. Urban planners note that speed-breakers are among the most common traffic-calming tools used by Indian cities because they are inexpensive and quick to install. However, their effectiveness depends on strict adherence to design standards, including advance signage, reflective paint, and adequate street lighting. In this case, the absence of these basic elements turned the hump into an unexpected obstruction, particularly after dark. Drivers reportedly encountered it without warning, transferring stress loads to the structure far beyond what it was designed to withstand.
Civic officials familiar with municipal processes say existing norms clearly mandate visibility measures whenever such interventions are approved. Data from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation shows that hundreds of new speed-breakers have been sanctioned over the past year, with a significant concentration in western neighbourhoods experiencing rapid residential and institutional growth. The scale of approvals raises questions about whether enforcement capacity and post-installation audits are keeping pace with expansion. From an economic and urban governance perspective, the issue extends beyond a single junction. Poorly executed road safety measures increase vehicle damage, slow freight movement, and heighten accident risks, all of which carry hidden costs for households and local businesses. For a city positioning itself as an investment and education hub, inconsistent street infrastructure also affects perceptions of liveability and resilience.
Experts argue that sustainable mobility requires shifting away from isolated fixes toward corridor-level planning that balances pedestrian safety, vehicle flow, and climate resilience. Well-lit streets, predictable road geometry, and durable materials reduce maintenance cycles and emissions linked to repeated repairs. In dense urban zones, design-led solutions such as raised intersections or traffic tables, when properly engineered, can outperform conventional humps. As Ahmedabad reviews its approach to traffic calming, the flattened speed-breaker serves as a reminder that Ahmedabad road safety is as much about governance and design discipline as it is about intent. Strengthening oversight, standardising audits, and aligning street works with long-term mobility plans will be critical to ensuring that safety infrastructure protects people rather than becoming another urban risk.
