SURAT (INDIA): Urban Mobility Plan

Despite the size and economic importance the city commands, Surat still does not have an efficient public transport system. It is to be noted that Surat is a migrant city and is faced with unfavorable income distribution. Incomplete network, missing hierarchy in road network system, poor quality of facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, inadequate traffic management are some of the critical issues the city is faced with. The inner ring road, which is yet to be completed as a
full ring, is faced with excessive dependency. The sustenance of Surat’s growth can only be possible with the development of an efficient transportation system. The city and the state governments have initiated several measures to ameliorate the situation. The city bus services is operated by private contractors on a route contract basis offered to the people since August 2007. SMC in charge of allocating routes and services. In addition, SMC has fixed design standards for urban roads and has developed some roads to cater to non motorized transport such as bicycles as well as earmarked spaces for the informal sector. Other initiatives in decongesting city roads include grade separated junctions at key locations, paid parking and off street parking structures. Continuing with these, the effort in this report is to evolve a
‘Comprehensive Mobility Plan’ and a “Mass Transit Plan’ in the form of BRTS.