Ahmedabad: A stretch of SG Road is set for a facelift, with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) planning a multipurpose zone featuring gardens and recreational areas. However, this transformation may come with unintended consequences: reduced parking and increased congestion. The pilot project between Pakwan and Iskcon Crossroads has already raised concerns among businesses that rely on customer-friendly parking. If no alternative parking solutions are provided, the development could turn into a logistical nightmare rather than an urban upgrade.
Currently, there is a large parking area between the main road and service road on SG Road. However, the new development will cause a reduction in parking space, leading to traffic jams and major inconvenience to people visiting shops, restaurants and hotels on this stretch.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated a project to expand SG Road into a six-lane corridor. Additionally, flyovers are under construction at Chharodi Junction and Karnavati Club Junction.
Earlier, the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) had constructed a 12m-wide service road parallel to SG Road, but the presence of a high-tension power line between the main road and service road prevented the construction of roads in the space. To utilize this land, Auda developed parking spaces, pay-and-use facilities and commercial stalls along the stretch between Palladium Mall and Iskcon Circle.
Auda built over 30 stalls and leased them out. In 2010, Auda transferred the possession of these stalls to AMC. Now, with the proposed multipurpose zone, these stalls, along with parking and existing facilities, are set to be demolished to make way for green spaces, recreational activities and new commercial stalls.
An AMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The municipal commissioner visited the site on Monday to review the development plan. Currently, stallholders are using the space illegally. There is parking space for vehicles here, but the new project will provide a recreational space for citizens. While parking will not be available in every spot as before, alternative parking solutions are being explored. The parking lot currently used by shops, restaurants or hotels is not their designated space.”
A restaurant owner along SG Road countered, “The initiative to beautify the city is commendable, but reducing parking space will cripple businesses. Customers need accessible parking to visit restaurants and hotels. If parking is compromised, many businesses may not survive.”
In 2011, AMC introduced the impact fee law, allowing businesses on SG Road to regularise illegal constructions in their parking areas in exchange for a fee. This fee was meant to fund multilevel parking facilities, but no such infrastructure was built. While Sindhu Bhavan and Prahladnagar now have multilevel parking, these locations are too far from SG Road to be viable alternatives.
If the multipurpose zone development proceeds without a concrete parking solution, SG Road could face intensified congestion, worsening Ahmedabad’s already-strained traffic conditions.