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Supreme Court Directs States to Ensure Pedestrian Safety through Disabled-Friendly Footpaths

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Supreme Court has ordered states to prioritize the safety of pedestrians by ensuring unobstructed and disabled-friendly footpaths and footways. The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Hemant Jain, which highlighted the alarming rise in pedestrian deaths due to the absence of footpaths along roads. The bench emphasized that safety of pedestrians is of utmost importance, citing Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to have unobstructed and disabled-friendly footpaths.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Supreme Court has directed states to prepare guidelines for ensuring pedestrian safety by submitting a policy within two months.
  • The court emphasized the importance of disabled-friendly footpaths, citing Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
  • The bench relied on two separate decisions by the Bombay high court (2018) and the Karnataka high court (2021) to formulate guidelines for freeing footpaths from encroachment or obstruction.
  • The court directed states to come out with guidelines in two months and file compliance reports by August 1.
  • The application filed by Jain highlighted that 32,825 pedestrians were killed in 2022 alone out of 1,68,491 total fatalities on road in India, constituting nearly 20% of the entire road fatalities figure.
  • The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and the Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017 provide statutory safeguards for pedestrian safety, but are not being enforced effectively.
  • The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) Standards and the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021- 2030) recognize pedestrian safety as a critical component of road safety.

Statistics:

  • 32,825 pedestrians were killed in 2022 alone in India, constituting nearly 20% of the entire road fatalities figure.
  • 1,68,491 people were killed in total on Indian roads in 2022.
  • The number of pedestrian deaths is expected to rise due to the absence of footpaths and encroachment of pedestrian spaces.

Sources:

  • The application filed by Hemant Jain in the Supreme Court of India.
  • The Road Accidents in India Report 2022.
  • The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
  • The Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
  • The Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017.
  • The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) Standards.
  • The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021- 2030).
  • The report published in the Hindustan Times.

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