Ahmedabad: A Right to Information (RTI) disclosure has revealed that 38,530 people died in 79,054 road accidents across Gujarat between 2021 and 2025, pointing to a continued rise in road incidents and fatalities across the state. The highest toll was recorded in 2022, when 9,954 people were killed. Accident figures peaked in 2025, with 56,100 crashes reported, according to the official response issued on March 26 to a Ghatlodia resident Manoj Patel. The data suggests that, on average, one person died every hour, while nearly two accidents occurred every hour during the period under review. Despite enforcement drives and awareness campaigns by authorities, the figures point to a steady pattern in road accidents. Officials said pedestrians and two-wheeler riders account for a significant proportion of the victims. Police sources attributed most accidents to over-speeding and poor compliance with traffic rules. They also flagged the lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and insufficient monitoring of heavy vehicles on highways and urban roads as major concerns. According to figures from the ministry of road transport and highways, Gujarat has about 2.9 crore registered vehicles. Officials noted that while vehicle numbers have risen steadily over the years, road infrastructure and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists have not expanded at the same pace. Senior traffic police officials said measures such as installing speed cameras, conducting checks against drunken driving, and identifying accident-prone stretches are being carried out. However, the RTI data indicates that these initiatives have not resulted in a reduction in fatalities. Separately, findings from the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India report for the period ending March 2024 point to shortcomings in the transport system that could affect road safety and enforcement. The audit reviewed the functioning of the State Transport Authority and Regional Transport Offices using the VAHAN and SARATHI databases across nine RTOs between April 2019 and March 2024. It found that 5,36,634 vehicles had expired registration certificates that were neither renewed nor scrapped, reflecting compliance gaps and a potential revenue loss of Rs 88.58 crore. The report further stated that 1,91,977 vehicles were operating without valid state permits as of March 2024. Delays in issuing permits ranged from 31 days to 1,808 days, with 4,839 cases pending for over 500 days. Additionally, 98,619 vehicles continued to ply with expired permits without renewal or enforcement action.
