Municipal Corporation to pilot Parking Area Management Plan in two areas in Ahmedabad

Indian Express

2 days ago

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), based on the recommendation of the High Level Committee on Urban Planning, plans to pilot a Parking Area Management Plan (PAMP) near Gurukul and Walled City streets, officials familiar with the matter said.
The AMC has identified several 'High Parking Demand Areas' in its document — Revised Parking Policy 2023 — including Gurukul, Walled City, Prahlad Nagar, Mithakali Junction, Ashram Road, and 120 Feet Road, which may require targeted strategies.
'As suggested by the High Level Committee on Urban Planning, we are willing to go ahead for a pilot study on these two locations: Gurukul and Walled City streets. We have to redefine paroling in urban areas. Also, we are planning to demarcate city roads (as major or main roads) which should be clear for a smooth traffic flow,' Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani told The Indian Express.
AMC in its Revised Ahmedabad Parking Policy 2023 has suggested delineating parking zones based on the existing street hierarchy of the streets in Ahmedabad. 'This is primarily because the mixed-use nature of Ahmedabad is prevalent along its major roads and tapers off towards mono land uses along inner roads. Hence, there is a higher demand on parking spaces on major roads and a slightly lesser demand on the secondary and collector roads and even much lower on local roads.
The HLC report on Gujarat has proposed Ahmedabad city authorities to develop a comprehensive PAMP to address the varying parking demands across different zones of the city, with a focus on ensuring efficient space utilisation and improved traffic flow.
'The local authorities should develop an area-level plan by delineating and demarcating the Parking Area Management Plan boundary. These areas require targeted strategies, such as the development of regulated parking on roads, charging for parking, and restricting vehicle types and parking durations. All of these measures should be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The PAMP should emphasise better coordination with the urban transport network to integrate parking spaces with public transport hubs, encouraging a shift towards more sustainable travel options,' the report highlights.
Further, speed limits restrictions have been proposed on the city roads.
'It is proposed to define speed limits on the urban street network keeping in view the abutting land uses and the activity patterns. Seeking examples from other cities it is recommended to adopt speed limits ranging from 30 – 60 km/hr. In case of high-speed corridors, safe crossings should be designed for pedestrians,' the report suggests.
Citing examples of other developed cities, it states 'Most developed cities adopt speed limits ranging from 30 to 60 km/h, depending on the surrounding land's characteristics and the street's hierarchy. In residential or high-traffic areas, lower speed limits (around 30 km/h) are typically enforced to protect pedestrians and cyclists, while on arterial roads or highways, higher limits may be set to accommodate faster-moving traffic while still maintaining safety.'
The parking policy 2023 has proposed to divide roads as major, secondary and local roads.
'All the major/arterial roads of the city shall be considered as 'high-demand' roads and a few meters buffer around it to be considered as 'high-demand' parking zones. Along these roads the existing land uses have mainly high-intensive commercial, Central Business District (CBD), Mixed Uses, and important institutional areas. The secondary/sub-arterial roads, collector roads shall be considered as 'medium-demand' roads and a few meters buffer around it to be considered as 'medium-demand' parking zones. These roads shall be the connections between the major arterial roads and pass through many residential neighbourhoods,' the policy states.
'The existing land uses around such roads are medium-level commercial, majorly residential areas …and also many industrial areas are present in the East of Ahmedabad. Examples of such roads include Satellite Road, Xavier's Road, Sandesh Press Road etc. The 'local roads' and 'highways' shall be considered as 'low-demand' roads and a few meters buffer around it to be considered as 'low-demand' parking zones. This is because the local roads pass through residential/inner neighborhoods and the highways are usually conduits for connecting between cities or places with limited parking demand,' the policy states.