The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highway, Govt. of India on the issue of deaths and Injuries of pedestrians, the most environment-friendly commuters due to negligence and inaction of Authorities. The NHRC sought an Action Taken report (ATR) within six weeks.Acting on a petition filed by Supreme Court advocate and noted human rights activist, Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC passed the order.Citing several examples of deaths and injuries in Indian States, the plea of Tripathy, stated that India’s roads are deadly – design fixes could make them safer for everyone. Many scientific improvements such as road consistency, speed lanes, median breaks alongside pedestrian safety features can go a long way. It has been continuing unabated due to proper mechanisms and the failure of the Government to ensure the safety and security of the pedestrians, the plea alleged.India’s 2021 pedestrian fatalities numbered 29,200, exceeding the combined road fatalities of the entire European Union and Japan; with another 60,000 pedestrians injured, he said.Tripathy, in his plea, stated the violation of rights of pedestrians as deaths and injuries of pedestrians have been highly rising for the last many years. He quoted the report of the Law Commission according to which 53 per cent of road deaths are among pedestrians. As per the complaint, most of the city roads do not have footpaths, and most footpaths in the cities are in dilapidated condition, with open drains, broken concrete and obstructed by hoardings and encroachers.
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