IN A first since the opening of the Sabarmati Riverfront – a 9-km stretch – in 2012, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said on Thursday that its public transport buses would soon ply on both the banks, east and west.
Till date, no public transport — including autorickshaws — has been allowed on the Sabarmati Riverfront as only private two and four-wheelers are allowed to ply on the stretch at present.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS), in its Rs 991-crore draft budget for 2026-27 , announced on Thursday that the electric buses would soon ply on both banks of the Sabarmati Riverfront, although officials did not specify a time frame.
“This is the first time that AMTS buses will run on both the banks of the Sabarmati Riverfront. Based on a survey, the number of EV buses and their frequency will be announced soon,” AMTS Transport Manager (General) R L Pandey told The Indian Express, adding that the “proposal has been made looking at the demand.”
At present, only two CNG buses are plying on the nearly 12-km stretch of the Sabarmati Riverfront between Vadaj and Vasna only on the West Bank, with around eight-ten trips in a day. In June 2024, the AMC rolled out two CNG buses as a pilot project.
It has been a long-time demand of commuters that public transport services should be allowed on both the banks of the Riverfront.
AMC authorities told this newspaper that the idea of keeping the Sabarmati Riverfront out of bounds for public transport was simple -to not burden it with traffic. “It was created so that people can enjoy the services and facilities the Riverfront offers, such as parks, gardens and promenades. It was not planned as an alternate road for the city’s traffic but as something unique in its nature… And to give residents easy access to it,” an official said. Sources pointed out that even during the planning stage and even after its completion, there was pressure on the authorities to allow all kinds of traffic along the Riverfront.
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The expansion of the Sabarmati Riverfront from the existing operational phase 1 (11.5 km from Vasna Barrage till Torrent power house) to phase 6 — increasing the length to 38 km to be implemented in six phases — Sabarmati Riverfront from Vasna Barrage till Chiloda Bridge near the thermal power plant in Gandhinagar is claimed to be the longest in the country.
Meanwhile, work on phases two-five, which is till GIFT City in Gandhinagar, is gaining momentum. The second phase involves extending the existing 11.5 km of Riverfront East and West by 5.8 km and 5.2 km, respectively, up to the Indira bridge while phases four-six spans across 16.5 km – from Narmada Main Canal till Chiloda Bridge – of the planned total 38 km Riverfront. Focus on environment-friendly buses, passengers’ convenience
The AMTS), in its Rs 991-crore draft budget, has focused on converting its entire fleet of buses to AC and electric vehicles by 2030.
“Of the fleet, 90 per cent of the total EV buses would be new,” Pandey told this newspaper.
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During 2026-27, the number of buses is planned to be increased from nearly 1,200 to 1600, which will add to the frequency and expansion of routes covering the surrounding villages and GIDC areas of Ahmedabad. A survey will be conducted in this regard, officials said.
Also, by adding special bus services to heritage and tourist locations during the year, 1,492 of the total fleet of 1,571 buses will be on the roads, increasing the existing number of buses plying on regular days, except public holidays.
As part of the plan to fully electrify all AMTS buses by 2030, the AMTS has issued a work order to procure 225 electric buses in 2026–27, following the completion of the contract for 225 CNG buses. Of these, 25 buses have been delivered as of today, AMTS authorities said.
For this, solar charging stations will be developed at Jamalpur, Vasna, Vadaj and Memnagar depots. A roadmap will also be firmed up for functional integration for a common charging policy for AMTS, BRTS and GSRTC electric buses. A multi-modal integration of AMTS, BRTS and GSRTC buses with other vehicles on the Outer Ring Road and create a bus port is also envisaged.
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The AMTS plans to develop the state’s first multi-level bus depot, which has been proposed in the budget.
Further, for workers registered with the Shramyogi Kalyan Board, free bus rides are offered on any route and any bus, for which a shramik pass will be issued.
In the total Rs 991-crore budget, of which salary and pension expenses are estimated at Rs 347 crore, the AMTS expects an income of Rs 358 crore, including Rs 100 crore support from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. A loan of Rs 600 crore is also anticipated, official sources said.
