The Gujarat government has yet again trumpeted a grand promise &mdash; the construction of a Green Ring Road around all major cities, backed by a budgetary allocation of ₹200 crore. At first glance, the intent seems commendable: decongest city roads, create climate-resilient infrastructure, and push for sustainable urban mobility. But scratch beneath the glossy announcement, and it begins to resemble a replay of old, half-fulfilled pledges that have long gathered dust in the archives of urban planning.
This is not the first time such an idea has been floated. In the 1990s, the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board had come up with a strikingly similar plan. Its proposal was simple yet effective: prevent the daily entry of thousands of State Transport buses into Ahmedabad, instead building depots outside the city&rsquo;s northern and southern limits. Passengers would then be ferried into the city through AMTS connectivity. Such a scheme could have eased the transport load dramatically. But like many other well-intentioned ideas, it never went beyond the drawing board.
The early 2000s brought another wave of optimism. AUDA proudly carved out 100&ndash;150 feet wide roads in emerging zones of Ahmedabad, claiming it was preparing for the city&rsquo;s next two decades of growth. Yet within a few years, these very roads were choked again, forcing the construction of endless flyovers and underpasses. The introduction of BRTS was supposed to be a game-changer, but poor planning and weak integration with existing transport only added to the chaos.
Metro rail too has delivered only partial relief. While it has reduced some traffic pressure, the absence of last-mile connectivity and proper feeder bus services means that the metro remains underutilised by large sections of citizens. Meanwhile, the 2010 plan for another ring road for Ahmedabad, through Manipur and Sanand, quietly vanished from public discourse. The Union government&rsquo;s logistics park concept, designed to divert multi-axle trucks away from city cores, is crawling along without urgency.
The result is predictable: an explosion of personal vehicles, continued inflow of heavy trucks, and ever-growing traffic snarls across urban Gujarat. Climate resilience and sustainability remain buzzwords, not realities.
The government may pitch the Green Ring Road as forward-looking, but unless it fixes the long-standing gaps in urban transport policy, this too will end up as old wine in a new bottle. Gujarat does not need more announcements; it needs swift, integrated execution of mass transit solutions that genuinely reduce private vehicle dependency. Until then, every grand &ldquo;green&rdquo; promise will remain just another political carrot dangled before weary commuters.

Gujarat unveils Green Ring Road plan, but past transport projects tell another story

Green Ring Road: promise or déjà vu?

Gujarat unveils Green Ring Road plan, but past transport projects tell another story

September 24, 2025 | 15:54 IST