Ahmedabad Surat Plan Coordinated Public Transport Reform
Gujarat has taken a decisive step towards restructuring urban mobility in Ahmedabad and Surat, unveiling a coordinated transport governance framework backed by a ₹100 crore Urban Transport Fund. The initiative, cleared at the state level this week, seeks to reduce congestion, improve public transport reliability, and support long-term, climate-conscious urban growth in two of the state’s most economically active cities. At the centre of the reform is the creation of a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority, designed to bring fragmented transport systems under a single planning and operational umbrella. Urban planners say the move addresses a long-standing gap in Indian cities, where buses, metro rail, and rapid transit corridors often operate in silos, limiting efficiency and discouraging commuters from shifting away from private vehicles.
The Urban Transport Fund will act as seed capital to support planning, operations, and maintenance of integrated mobility systems. According to senior officials familiar with the framework, the fund is expected to be institutionalised through the state budget for 2026–27, creating a predictable financial base for public transport improvements. For fast-growing cities like Ahmedabad and Surat, this is seen as critical to balancing economic expansion with liveability and environmental resilience. Three priority programmes have been identified under the unified transport strategy. The first is a single mobility payment system that will allow commuters to use buses, bus rapid transit, and metro services through one card and mobile platform. Transport experts note that such interoperability can significantly reduce friction in daily travel, particularly for lower-income commuters who rely on multiple modes to reach workplaces and education hubs.
The second pillar is a common mobility plan, which will map existing transport corridors against population density, employment zones, and emerging residential clusters. Areas with limited or no public transport coverage will be prioritised for new services, helping cities grow more evenly rather than reinforcing car-dependent urban sprawl. Last-mile connectivity forms the third focus area. Municipal authorities have been tasked with improving access from neighbourhoods to major transit corridors through feeder services and integrated hubs. Planned multimodal junctions near key metro stations in Ahmedabad are expected to combine buses, intermediate transport, and pedestrian infrastructure, easing parking pressure and shortening door-to-door travel times.
Urban economists view the reforms as more than a traffic-management exercise. Improved public transport integration can lower household transport costs, enhance workforce mobility, and reduce emissions linked to private vehicle use. For real estate markets, better connectivity often reshapes demand, supporting more compact, transit-oriented development rather than outward expansion. While similar governance models operate in several other Indian states, Gujarat’s phased rollout starting with Ahmedabad and Surat signals an intent to scale the framework across urban centres. The success of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority will now depend on execution, coordination between civic bodies, and sustained funding factors that will determine whether daily commuting in these cities becomes faster, cleaner, and more inclusive in the years ahead.
