Ahmedabad: For more than two decades, Ahmedabad has been living with a problem it has quietly legalized. Three successive implementations of the Gujarat Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Act (GRUDA) — most recently in 2022 — effectively legalized illegal constructions in exchange for impact fees. Among the most problematic outcomes was the regularization of parking spaces in housing societies and commercial complexes that had already been built over or encroached upon. The result has been an erosion of formal parking spaces across the city, worsening congestion on already overburdened roads. For those elected to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in the 2026 civic election, resolving the parking crisis will be one of the toughest challenges.While the city has invested heavily in infrastructure, the returns have been limited. Over the past five years, several multilevel parking complexes have come up, but most have failed to attract users. A comprehensive parking development plan, promised for years, is still missing. Though a draft parking policy exists, there is no citywide, long-term roadmap to translate it into action.AMC officials say traffic congestion has worsened because of haphazard, on-street parking, often blocking emergency movement. An agency appointed by the corporation is currently preparing a parking plan, beginning with the western parts of the city. Roads are being surveyed, on-street parking zones have been identified, and no-parking areas marked.So far, parking has been prohibited within a 50-metre radius of more than 250 junctions in the city’s western zones, with signage installed and enforcement planned. Surveys to identify on-street and off-street parking spaces are underway, but work in the eastern zones has not yet begun. The designation of on-street parking on newly constructed western roads has been put on hold, and parking fees, which are central to demand management, are still undecided.An AMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the state govt approved the parking policy in Oct 2021. It proposed the creation of a dedicated parking cell comprising AMC officials, traffic cops, Regional Transport Office representatives and experts. “The cell was meant to enforce parking bylaws, but a 10-year parking plan was a prerequisite,” the official said. Consultants were appointed for the western zones, but the parking cell has still not been formed, and the eastern part of the city remains untouched.Congestion, the official added, now affects not only commuters but also ambulances during peak hours. On April 5, the AMC issued a public notice requiring all commercial complexes to ensure vehicles are parked only in designated spaces. Residential and commercial buildings must file an annual self-declaration confirming that parking areas are free of encroachments. Societies with surplus parking may apply for parking sharing. The responsibility for violations rests with the building’s chairman or secretary.
