Overview
- The Supreme Court on June 19 held in Maniyar Iliyaz v. P. Ayyappan that walking on safe, demarcated footpaths is a constitutionally protected right under Article 19(1)(d) and Article 21.
- The case arose after a five-year-old was killed by a tanker where no footpath or proper crossing existed and the court linked that tragedy to decades of planning that prioritised vehicle movement over pedestrian safety.
- Official road transport data show more than 180,000 pedestrian deaths from 2019 to 2024 and TRIPC/IIT Delhi finds usable footpath coverage varies widely by state from about 3% to 73%, highlighting the scale of the safety gap.
- Coverage and advocates say the ruling reframes policy toward ‘complete streets’ that integrate continuous pavements, crossings, drainage, lighting, tree cover and accessible curbs rather than add-ons to road projects.
- Turning the judgment into safer streets will require clear enforcement, pooled funding, a single accountable agency for street management, rules on vending and parking, and stronger municipal coordination to improve daily life for pedestrians and people with disabilities.