Andhra Pradesh Introduces India's First Pedestrian Safety Policy
· India · Indian Express, The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh has become India's first state to formulate a dedicated pedestrian safety policy following a Supreme Court ruling that recognised walking on footpaths as a fundamental right. The Andhra Pradesh Pedestrian Safety & Universal Accessibility Policy 2026, notified on August 7, establishes a three-step framework involving road safety audits, footpath repairs, and behavioral change. The policy applies across all local bodies, prioritizing cities with populations above one million before expanding to rural areas. It invokes section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, imposing a Rs 1 lakh fine on officials and contractors if design failures lead to pedestrian deaths. In 2024, the state recorded 1,739 pedestrian deaths out of 8,346 total road accident fatalities.
Why it matters
The policy establishes legal accountability for infrastructure failures, directly targeting pedestrian safety in a state where thousands lose their lives on roads annually.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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