India recorded 1,72,890 road accident fatalities in 2023, including 35,221 pedestrian deaths
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In a first among the states, Andhra Pradesh Government has put in place an integrated Pedestrian Safety & Universal Accessibility Policy, bringing together pedestrian safety, universal design, scientific road audits and technology-driven monitoring.The Andhra Pradesh Pedestrian Safety & Universal Accessibility Policy, 2026 along with detailed operational guidelines was approved by the State cabinet on Thursday to fundamentally change the way roads and streets are planned, built and monitored in the State.At the heart of the policy is a decisive shift from vehicle-centric road design to people-centric infrastructure, with the objective of ensuring that roads are safe and accessible for all citizens, including children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The framework will apply across the entire State, including urban areas, rural and peri-urban stretches, urban fringes and satellite towns, and will cover both new projects and the retrofitting of existing infrastructure.The policy comes against the backdrop of a serious national road-safety challenge. India recorded 1,72,890 road accident fatalities in 2023, including 35,221 pedestrian deaths, with pedestrians accounting for more than 20 per cent of all road fatalities. The Supreme Court has also recognised safe and obstruction-free footpaths as a facet of the Right to Life under Article 21 and called for a shift towards people-centric road infrastructure. Key FeaturesA major feature of the policy is the institutionalisation of comprehensive road-safety audits. Roads, junctions, pedestrian crossings and high-footfall locations will be systematically assessed, while accident blackspots and vulnerable stretches will receive priority attention.Locations will be assigned a quantifiable Safety Score, incorporating pedestrian vulnerability and universal-accessibility parameters. The framework envisages prioritising 15–20 high-fatality blackspots using two to three years of accident data, with at least 20 percent of roads to be surveyed within the first year.The policy lays down detailed standards for the design of pedestrian infrastructure. Continuous footpaths will provide a minimum two-metre clear walking zone, along with firm and slip-resistant surfaces, level continuity across entrances and side streets, and adequate headroom free from poles, signage and other obstructions.Universal-accessibility features will include tactile ground-surface indicators, wheelchair-friendly kerb ramps, protective bollards, Braille and audible signals. At-grade pedestrian crossings will be preferred over inaccessible foot-over-bridges, with lifts to be provided where required.The policy also adopts a zero-tolerance approach to pedestrian deaths and footpath encroachments, with local bodies, police and revenue authorities expected to work together to keep walking spaces obstruction-free.The policy framework also integrated pedestrian infrastructure with the circular economy. It mandated the use of processed construction and demolition waste for non-structural pedestrian components, including pavement and paver blocks, street furniture and certain protective bollards. It also envisages incentives for manufacturers and contractors using certified recycled materials, with pilots intended to build local supply chains before wider rollout.A district-level mobile application or portal is envisaged to allow citizens to report wrong-side driving and footpath encroachments. Residents’ Welfare Associations will also be encouraged to participate in the consultation process.Technology BackedImplementation will be backed by technology. The policy provides for GIS mapping of footpaths, geo-tagged photographic documentation, drone-based surveys and digital inventories of pedestrian infrastructure.Physical and financial progress across Urban Local Bodies will be tracked through dashboards, while CCTV and drones may be integrated with command centres for real-time monitoring and enforcement.Published on August 7, 2026
