The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has officially scrapped all temporary speed breakers across the city, mandating that every speed hump must now strictly comply with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and the civic body's newly adopted guidelines. This move is part of a comprehensive effort to standardize traffic calming measures and reduce urban road fatalities.
Uniform Engineering Approach for Speed Calming
Under the new policy, the AMC has adopted a uniform, engineering-based approach for speed calming across its extensive 2,800-kilometer road network. In residential and high-traffic areas, road humps are being constructed with a precise chord length of 3.7 meters and a height of 0.1 meters, calibrated to enforce a target speed of 25 to 30 kilometers per hour. This standardized design ensures consistency and effectiveness in slowing down vehicles.
Enhanced Visibility and Warning Measures
Each speed hump must now feature retro-reflective thermoplastic markings, road studs, and checkered black-and-white bands to ensure high visibility, especially during night or low-light conditions. Additionally, at hazardous approaches, sets of six transverse thermoplastic bar strips, each up to 15 millimeters in height, are being installed to alert drivers to reduce speed ahead. These measures are detailed in the AMC's new Comprehensive Policy on Traffic Management.
Integration of Technology and Infrastructure
Beyond physical infrastructure, the AMC is redesigning 100 major junctions with tightened turning radii to naturally reduce vehicle speeds at intersections. The civic body is also leveraging technology to monitor and enforce speed limits. AI-powered cameras under the SASA Project, along with a fleet of interceptor vehicles, will now monitor speed violations across the city. In 2025 alone, these systems recorded over 1.03 lakh over-speeding cases, highlighting the scale of the problem and the need for stringent measures.
The new policy marks a significant shift from temporary, often haphazard speed breakers to a scientifically designed and uniformly implemented traffic calming system. The AMC aims to create safer roads for pedestrians and motorists alike, reducing the number of accidents and fatalities in the city.
