Introduction
The judiciary has affirmed the 'Right to Walk' on a demarcated footpath as integral to the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. Despite this constitutional recognition, pedestrian safety remains precarious in Indian cities, with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) data registering over 36,500 pedestrian fatalities annually, accounting for more than 20% of all road deaths.
Critical Challenges in Implementation
- Technical and Design Deviations: Most urban road development consistently violates Indian Roads Congress standards (IRC 103:2022), which mandate a minimum clear footpath width of 1.8 metres and a maximum 1:12 ramp gradient for universal accessibility. The absence of continuous, barrier-free pavements renders paths unusable for the elderly and persons with disabilities.
- Administrative Fragmentation: Multiple overlapping jurisdictions among Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Public Works Departments (PWD), traffic police, and national bodies like NHAI result in an accountability vacuum, preventing integrated non-motorised transport (NMT) planning.
- Automobile-Centric Budgetary Allocations: Municipal and urban transport capital outlays disproportionately prioritise motorised transport through flyovers, elevated corridors, and road widening, crowding out dedicated budgets for NMT corridors and safe grade-separated crossings.
- Enforcement Deficits and Pavement Encroachments: Poor enforcement of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, combined with unchecked illegal on-street vehicular parking, forces pedestrians to walk on the carriageway, drastically increasing accident exposure.
- Inverted Mobility Priorities: Urban planning frameworks continue to place private motorised vehicles above mass transit and non-motorised mobility, failing to adhere to the inverted mobility pyramid concept that prioritises active commuters.
Conclusion
To realise the Right to Walk, cities must institutionalise dedicated pedestrian-first mandates, mirroring Punjab's pioneering policy making footpaths legally compulsory in new road contracts. Adopting 'Complete Streets' frameworks and realigning urban planning with an inverted mobility pyramid are vital steps toward achieving inclusive, safe cities under Sustainable Development Goal 11.