Gujarat HC upholds ban on private buses entry in city during daytime

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday upheld the ban on the entry of private luxury buses within city limits during daytime, dismissing the plea filed by private bus owners. While rejecting the appeal, the bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddya Mayee remarked, “We will not permit the operation of buses during daylight hours.”

The appeal was filed by Shrinath Travel Agency Pvt Ltd after a single-judge bench rejected its challenge to the legality of a notification issued by the city police commissioner in 2022. The notification prohibits heavy vehicles and private buses from operating between 8 am and 10 pm.

The appellant argued that previously as per the 2004 notification, specific routes were designated for private buses, and parking spaces were allocated. However, the recent notification abolished this activity entirely. It was argued that bus-related accidents accounted for only 5.9% of total accidents in the city, and buses constituted merely 0.9% of total vehicles in Ahmedabad.

In response, the bench pointed out the space occupied by buses on the road, which creates congestion. The bench said, “We are making roads after roads. We are at the stage of the third ring road.”

Further supporting the administration’s endeavors to alleviate traffic issues, Chief Justice Agarwal stated, “If they are taking action, let them proceed. Even small steps should not be interfered with.” DeshGujarat