Kushagra Tiwari, Gandhinagar: The Government of Gujarat is planning to develop 25 children’s traffic parks across municipalities and municipal corporations and establish three new automated vehicle testing stations in Porbandar, Gir Somnath, and Mahisagar districts as part of its Ports and Transport Department budget for 2026–27. The initiatives are aimed at strengthening road safety awareness and improving vehicle fitness enforcement across the state.

Major Boost for Public Transport (GSRTC)

The largest allocation in the transport sector is a ₹1,868.72 crore capital contribution to the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) for infrastructure and development works.

In addition, ₹1,234.63 crore has been earmarked as a subsidy to help the corporation operate uneconomic routes and provide student concessions.

Focus on Road Safety and Education

To promote traffic awareness from an early age, ₹25 crore has been allocated for the development of children’s traffic parks across 25 municipalities and municipal corporations.

Other road safety initiatives include:

• Driving Training Centres: ₹1 crore for establishing new driver training facilities across the state.

• Automated Testing Stations: ₹2.40 crore for setting up government-approved automated vehicle testing stations in Porbandar, Gir Somnath, and Mahisagar districts.

• Vehicle Tracking System: ₹1.98 crore for the development and management of a state-wide vehicle tracking platform in compliance with AIS-140 specifications.

Modernisation and Green Initiatives

The budget also outlines technology-driven and sustainability-focused measures:

• Electric Vehicles: ₹1.01 crore allocated as subsidies for new electric vehicles under the state’s Electric Vehicle Policy.

• Premium Services: ₹0.20 crore provisioned to introduce premium and express modes for vehicle- and licence-related services.

• Cashless Treatment Scheme: A token provision has been made to cover interest liabilities arising from delayed payments under the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme.

Administrative and Fleet Strengthening

To enhance operational capacity, the budget provides for:

• New Posts: Creation of 15 Motor Vehicle Inspector (Class-II) posts and four Senior Clerk positions.

• Fleet Renewal: ₹3.70 crore for purchasing 37 vehicles for the Commissioner of Transport and RTO/ARTO offices, and ₹3.58 crore for procuring 11 vehicles for ministerial and state guest protocol duties.

• Project Management Unit (PMU): Establishment of a PMU with an initial outlay of ₹0.10 crore to expedite construction and maintenance works related to RTO/ARTO offices. DeshGujarat