Pedestrians in India are a neglected lot. The cruel ignorance for their rights is evident from the fact that there isn’t a single law, legislation, rule or code that voices their rights and gives them the much needed legal platform. This is not to say that a valid law will necessarily make a pedestrian’s battle against the authorities any easier. The time, the money and the effort that go into a legal battle, as is well-documented, do act as challenges for a pedestrian raising his/her voice against a denial of his/her rights.
So this is why we see pedestrians, choosing to risk their lives on a daily basis by walking alongside fast-moving cars and ominous buses instead of fighting for decent and walkable footpaths. The risk to life isn’t just a myth; statistics suggest that more than 45% of all accidents that take place in the city are pedestrian-related.
There are many aspects in the pedestrian environment that contribute to the overall concept of a walkable community. Walking could be a enjoyable activity and would definitely go a long way in reducing air pollution in our city. People walk everywhere – from home to work, to shop, to school, and to the park. Every trip by car or bus or other mode starts and ends with walking.
Is Walking a major mode of transportation? If this is so then the pedestrians also have the right to have a decent place to walk….
Shinto Varghese
How true! This is indeed a question that bothers me when I think of 'child friendly spaces or localities'. Kunnathunad Panchayat, as I was travelling today, I was wondering, how safe it is for the majority of the people of the locality? How can they safely walk along the road? There is no provision! Prasant
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