Supreme Court Upholds Pedestrian Safety Rights Amid High Fatalities in Telangana
Following a Supreme Court directive on the fundamental right to safe walking, Telangana faces scrutiny over high pedestrian death tolls. Despite official reports, inadequate footpaths and speeding continue to drive road fatalities, highlighting the urgent need for better urban design and infrastructure.
Highlights
- •Supreme Court ruling mandates safe footpaths as a fundamental human right.
- •Telangana recorded 1,554 pedestrian deaths in 2023, accounting for 20% of fatalities.
- •Speeding caused nearly 89% of road deaths in Telangana in 2023.
- •Activists demand better road design and infrastructure over individual blame.
The Supreme Court recently emphasized that walking safely on designated footpaths is a fundamental right, sparking critical discourse regarding pedestrian safety in Telangana. This judicial observation highlights a growing urgency to address the dangers faced by walkers in a state where road infrastructure remains heavily biased toward motor vehicles.
According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) report titled 'Road Accidents in India 2023', the statistics for the state are alarming. In 2023 alone, 1,554 pedestrians lost their lives in road crashes, representing nearly 20 percent of all road-related fatalities in the region. The data further reveals an upward trend in pedestrian-involved accidents, rising from 3,695 incidents in 2021 to 4,400 in 2023. These numbers underscore the persistent threat to those traveling on foot.
Addressing the Infrastructure Crisis
The Supreme Court ruling clarified that roads should not be designed exclusively for motorized traffic. It mandates that authorities have a clear duty to establish and maintain proper walkways. However, in Telangana, the lack of protected infrastructure, such as footpaths, is compounded by poor road design and the illegal occupation of existing pedestrian spaces. Experts note that when urban environments prioritize speed over accessibility, pedestrian fatalities become an unfortunate inevitability.
Data from 2023 indicates that excessive speed is a primary driver of the crisis, contributing to 6,720 out of the 7,582 total road fatalities recorded in the state. Urban activists argue that the burden of safety should not fall on the individual walker, but rather on systemic improvements to urban design. Reliable and safe pedestrian infrastructure is essential to reduce these high casualty figures.
For daily commuters, the reality on the ground is often precarious. Many pedestrians, such as those relying on public transport, are frequently forced to share road space with speeding vehicles due to missing or blocked pavements. Junctions often lack functional signals or clear crossings, leaving vulnerable road users at significant risk. Despite the Telangana transport department reporting 25,934 road accidents and 7,281 fatalities in 2024, significant changes in safety conditions for walkers have yet to materialize.
The latest judicial directive adds significant weight to the ongoing demands for more comprehensive safety initiatives. This includes the urgent need for consistent traffic calming measures, better-maintained zebra crossings, and stricter enforcement of speed regulations. Without a shift toward more inclusive urban planning, the safety of the most vulnerable road users remains in jeopardy, necessitating immediate and coordinated action from the relevant authorities to transform the state's approach to road safety.
