Pedestrian safety focus

The SC on Tuesday directed all states and UTs to frame rules in six months to ensure road safety by regulating the movement of non-motorised vehicles and pedestrians and by setting standards for the design, construction, and maintenance of roads.

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A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan issued the directions while hearing a petition filed in 2012 that highlighted the alarming number of road accidents, Live Law and Bar & Bench reported.

The court instructed states and UTs to frame rules under Sections 138(1A) and 210D of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. These provisions, inserted through a 2019 amendment, empower state governments to regulate pedestrian movement, nonmechanically propelled vehicles, and road standards.