People walking on road needing safe,clearly marked footpaths is not luxury ah,it is basic .
And court has now said pedestrian safety cannot keep getting pushed aside just because vehicles are treated like kings on roads . This directly questions policies which usually favour vehicular traffic,while walkers are left adjusting between broken footpaths,parked cars and random obstacles.
One thing that really stands out is 2019 survey saying pedestrians constitute 63% of road users . 63% is not small number at all. Still,most city planning behaves like people walking are some side issue only.
And honestly,this is where things get uncomfortable. Court also pointed out how policymakers often ignore daily reality of millions of walkers. Many of them are car-dependent,privileged and probably never have to walk through same unsafe stretches which ordinary people cross every day.
Few facts from this ruling are worth noticing:
- 2019 survey highlighted that pedestrians constitute 63% of road users .
- Court referenced Rajasekaran vs. Union of India ,where state and district road safety committees were directed.
- Union government has yet to comply with establishment of National Road Safety Board.
But despite earlier directions,things have moved slowly . National Road Safety Board still not being set up raises very obvious question about how serious system really is about pedestrian welfare.
Court’s remarks about disdain shown by motorists towards pedestrians also hit hard . Because this is not just infrastructure issue,it is attitude issue too. Walkers are often treated like obstacles,not legitimate road users .
And funding tells same story. Road expansions,parking facilities and vehicle movement get big budgets,but safe,unobstructed footpaths for everyone,including disabled people,remain almost afterthought. Right to park somehow keeps getting more respect than right to walk.
There is also talk of court-monitored pedestrian safety audit,which could push authorities to follow accessibility laws and be answerable . Maybe that kind of pressure is needed now,because polite requests clearly have not changed much.
At same time,this ruling gives citizens some legal backing to demand proper footpaths and pedestrian rights. But whether policymakers who benefit from car-first cities will actually accept that walking also deserves space… that question is still hanging there…
