The Policy to Enforce the 'Right to Walk'

Gist Andhra Pradesh has notified the country's first comprehensive pedestrian safety policy to enforce the fundamental 'right to walk' recently recognized by the Supreme Court of India. The policy establishes a three-tier framework involving safety audits, infrastructure upgrades, and behavioural changes, crucially backed by financial penalties for non-compliant civic officials and contractors. For civil services aspirants, this represents a significant shift in urban governance—moving road safety from a driver-centric approach to one that prioritizes non-motorized transport, universal accessibility, and administrative accountability. Background Historically, Indian urban planning and road safety audits have disproportionately focused on vehicular flow, treating pedestrian deaths as unfortunate by-products of traffic rather than systemic infrastructural failures. Pedestrians represent the most vulnerable road users, yet Urban Local Bodies ULBs have traditionally lacked standardized, legally enforceable mandates to maintain unobstructed footpaths. Following a recent Supreme Court observation that recognized walking safely on footpaths as a fundamental right broadly protected under the Right to Life , there was a policy vacuum at the state level on how to operationalize and enforce this right on the ground. Key Pointers Administrative accountability:…