Now Reading: Supreme Court Declares Safe Footpaths a Fundamental Right
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Supreme Court Declares Safe Footpaths a Fundamental Right
India’s Supreme Court has declared that people have a fundamental right to walk safely on designated footpaths, after a five-year-old boy was killed by a truck while walking to school. The BBC…
The Story in Brief
India’s Supreme Court has declared that people have a fundamental right to walk safely on designated footpaths, after a five-year-old boy was killed by a truck while walking to school. The BBC reports that the ruling places pedestrians’ rights above the privilege of motorised vehicles.
About 45 million Indians walk to work each day, compared with 5.4 million who commute in private cars, jeeps or vans, according to census-based estimates cited by the BBC. A 2019 survey found walking accounted for 63% of journeys in selected cities. Yet pavements are often broken, blocked or inaccessible, while pedestrians are the second-largest group of road accident victims after two-wheeler riders.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy story is that pedestrians cause disorder by occupying roads, while the opposite claim says every footpath problem is simply an excuse to attack cars. Both miss the basic test: cities must provide continuous, usable paths before demanding disciplined walking. A court declaration will matter only if municipalities publish footpath standards, repair schedules and enforcement records. Will the next budget show more safe crossings and accessible pavements, not just more road capacity?
Source: news.google.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
