Envisioned as model corridor, 150ft Ring Road a commuters’ nightmare

Rajkot: In Saurashtra's bustling business hub, where daily traffic snarls and rampant rule violations test the patience of daily commuters and authorities alike, the 150-foot Ring Road was built as a model corridor to streamline urban mobility.
Built 15 years ago, the 11-km stretch was equipped with footpaths, a dedicated cycle track, separate lanes for two- and four-wheelers, and a BRTS corridor—designed to be a blueprint for modern urban planning.
However, the ground reality today is far from that vision. With the exponential rise in vehicular population, traffic management on this arterial road has deteriorated rather than improved. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) and city traffic police have failed to effectively regulate traffic flow or prevent encroachments.
Despite constructing six overbridges and a double-decker flyover to ease congestion, the traffic situation has only worsened. Footpaths and designated parking areas are routinely occupied by vendors, while rickshaws dominate the service roads. Particularly near Raiya, where the fatal bus accident occurred, service lanes are choked with parked tractors and pickup vehicles ferrying daily wage laborers for nearby real estate projects.
Indira Circle, the site of Wednesday's tragedy, is another flashpoint encroached upon by private luxury buses that leave little room for other vehicles. GSRTC buses from Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, and Kutch also use this corridor, as their original route via Jamnagar Road remains closed to heavy vehicles due to ongoing construction of a railway overbridge.
Over time, the 150-foot Ring Road has emerged as commercial hotspot lined with malls, multiplexes, eateries, garment stores, banks, and corporate offices, adding to traffic density and causing severe parking issues. During peak morning and evening hours, the situation becomes chaotic.
Juliyan Patel, a daily commuter, said, "Traffic jams have made our lives miserable. Traffic police are hardly visible, and when they are, most are either busy collecting fines or scrolling through their phones."
Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Puja Yadav, could not be reached for comments on the issue.