Background

While the primacy to be given to pedestrians is given abundant lip-service the fact is that the pedestrian is relegated tothe very last position in the pecking order on the streets of Indian cities. This is despite several Court judgments asserting the rights of pedestrians, in some cases even equated with the right to life under the Constitution. The Rights of Persons with Disability also mandates streets to be universally accessible, thereby requiring footpaths and crossings to be designed an exacting standard. Various Government schemes such as the JNNURM and now the Smart Cities Mission, also stress the need for better pedestrian infrastructure. Various IRC Guidelines specify the design standards for urban streets, which over the past few years have focused on the safety and convenience of pedestrians.