Jaipur: Rajasthan govt is yet to implement “Right to Walk” in Jaipur, even six months after the Supreme Court mandated improvements for pedestrian safety under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution. The state’s local self govt (LSG) dept has issued a notification for standard pavements, but inadequate measures were undertaken by Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC), and traffic police.Stakeholders say there are three problems related to pedestrian safety in Jaipur. First, most roads in the city do not have pavements. Second, where there are pavements, most have been encroached upon by shops, street vendors and parked vehicles. Third, residents don’t use infrastructure like footbridges or underpasses and, unlike in other cities, police don’t act against jaywalking.“Even after the Supreme Court order, while designing or constructing infrastructure, the authorities are least bothered about safe movements of pedestrians. Road planning must prioritize safety over speed and access over travel-time claims, because a road that is unsafe for pedestrians is a failure of design,” stated Neha Khullar, the executive director of Muskaan, a Jaipur-based NGO working on road safety.Sumeet Meharda, DCP traffic of Jaipur commissionerate, stated that accidents involving pedestrians were high in Jaipur. In 2025, such accidents accounted for over 40% of road incidents in Jaipur, which is significantly higher than the national average of 20-25%.“We have implemented a few steps to ensure safe movements of pedestrians on city roads. There are a few other plans that we would implement in future after getting clearance from the traffic control board,” stated Meharda.JDA has proposed constructing pavements on the entire stretch of Sikar Road and Mahal Road and has decided to keep them free from any encroachment. In addition, special drives are being organised to ensure infrastructure for pedestrian movements outside all educational institutions in the city.“In future we will not construct infrastructure on any roads without pavements on both sides, maintaining their standard shape and size,” a JDA official added.
