Two people were killed in separate road accidents in Bengaluru on June 24 and June 25. As the number of accidents in the city continues to rise over the years, the number of pedestrian deaths has also shot up from 164 in 2020 to 247 in 2022, indicating an alarming increase of 53 per cent. A report released by the Bengaluru Traffic Police indicated that a large number of road accidents involved two-wheelers, with 64 pedestrians losing their lives. This risk to life is discouraging Bengaluru’s citizens from walking as a form of commute.
Another recent study based on 6,300 accident databases from the Road Accident Sampling System for India reveals that Indian roads lack safe passage for walkers. The report highlights that 99 per cent of Indian pedestrians are at risk of injury. While the blame is often shifted to pedestrians, citing their violation of traffic rules and involvement in collisions with vehicles, the primary question remains unanswered: Are the roads safe for pedestrians at all? Footpaths, skywalks, and pedestrian crossings have all been independent projects, often used as a temporary checkbox to silence pedestrians. This paints a grim picture of a city burdened with unbridled urbanisation coupled with a burgeoning population, leading to a degrading quality of life and health conditions.
The state government had introduced Pelican crossings in 2005, designed to allow pedestrians to cross streets safely without the need for a pedestrian underpass or a foot overbridge. Pedestrians would be able to control a traffic signal and stop the traffic when they press a button to cross the street. This system, prevalent in most countries, was a massive failure due to vandalisation of the signal infrastructure and a lack of awareness on how to use such a system. In 2023, a new pilot project was envisioned to establish pelican crossings at certain signals; however, without adequate awareness among both pedestrians and motorists, pedestrians will find it hard to navigate through roads.
Tender SURE Roads was another multi-crore project in Karnataka that aimed to revamp Bengaluru’s roads to make it a walkable city, following international standards. The design of these roads was meant to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, street vendors, and hawkers. However, this project, too, has gathered dust.
In 2019, the BBMP launched the “Adopt a Street” programme, a government-corporate-citizen partnership where citizens could assist the BBMP in keeping the streets clean, green, and pedestrian-friendly. This programme also fizzled out later. Such initiatives will only be successful if they are introduced systematically, with regular updates to ensure accountability and appropriate intervention when required.
Government bodies in Karnataka have refused to take responsibility for pedestrian deaths and injuries over the years. Additionally, the existing legislation does not provide for definitive standards and guidelines because roads are predominantly motorist-centred, with pedestrians almost remaining a low priority. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority Act, 2022, includes the power of the authority to ensure coordinated enforcement of all mechanisms relating to traffic and urban mobility to promote pedestrian and road safety. It also provides for the preparation of a comprehensive mobility plan to ensure the integrated, comprehensive, and planned development of mobility in the Urban Mobility Region, including pedestrian paths, cycle tracks, drains, and the standards governing them. However, six months into the Act being passed, not much has changed in the system across Bengaluru.
Bengaluru should pedestrianise urban streets and market spaces to improve safety and enhance mobility in the city. In fact, an initiative on ‘pedestrianising urban streets’ was implemented in Bengaluru on Church Street in 2020. The street was closed to vehicular traffic on an experimental basis every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to midnight for nearly four months. Such pedestrianisation led to a massive improvement in air quality and several other indicators of quality of life, such as easy access to services, better health benefits owing to walking, increased physical activity, access for all age groups, and increased safety. Over the last five years, Chennai has implemented more than 100 km of pedestrian-friendly streets across the city.
Decisions on road infrastructure necessitate coordination, ownership, and, most importantly, accountability among various government agencies at all levels: planning, decision-making, engagement with relevant stakeholders, and designing and building infrastructure. It is important to have continuous conversations with the most important stakeholders—citizens. By providing an accessible platform and space to engage in conversations with the citizens, the civic bodies will not only benefit by considering the lived experiences of the citizens but will also be able to raise awareness regarding the various initiatives and programmes aimed at ensuring pedestrian safety.
(The writer is a senior resident fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.)