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News: The Supreme Court in a judgment, declared right to walk on demarcated and well-maintained footpaths a fundamental right which has priority over movement by motorized vehicles.
About Right to Walk
- The Supreme Court ruled that the right to walk on a demarcated footpath is a fundamental right.
- Rights under: It is a fundamental right under right to movement guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (d) and Article 21- Right to life and liberty.
- Supreme Court Ruling:
- The court held that a citizen’s fundamental right to walk on a demarcated footpath is primary and shall have priority over movement by motorised vehicles.
- It held that this fundamental right has a correlative duty and if the road exists, there is a duty to ensure that there are demarcated and well-maintained footpaths for walkers.
- Responsible bodies: Urban development authorities, municipal corporations, municipalities, and panchayats are responsible for providing safe footpaths.
- They must mark, build, maintain, and protect footpaths and other facilities for pedestrians because walking is an essential part of daily life.
- The Court suggested creating an independent regulatory body to effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths.
- Such a regulator will maintain institutional integrity by taking independent and objective decisions without governmental or industrial control.
