In a sharp rebuke over pedestrian neglect, the Supreme Court has spotlighted a glaring safety lapse—no proper crossing near the Delhi High Court and the National Zoological Park on Mathura Road, a stretch where thousands brave traffic chaos daily without even a signal or a foot overbridge.
A Bench led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan described the situation as emblematic of India’s urban road failures and ordered a nationwide survey to pinpoint where pedestrian crossings are desperately needed. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other road-owning agencies have been tasked with crafting a city-wise action plan to identify and fix these high-risk zones.
The Court observed that the Delhi High Court–Zoo junction serves as a stark reminder of the systemic neglect of pedestrians: “Thousands of employees, litigants, lawyers, children, and families cross the road every day without any red light, overbridge, or traffic calming measure—putting their lives at risk.”
The concern arose during hearings of a 2012 public interest case filed by Dr. S. Rajaseekaran, an orthopaedic surgeon who sought sweeping road safety reforms. Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, acting as Amicus Curiae, drew the Bench’s attention to the hazardous conditions on Mathura Road.
Responding to this, the Court directed that within a year, 20 percent of roads in the fifty cities identified in the Road Accidents Report 2023 be surveyed to determine where pedestrian infrastructure is lacking. Crowded streets and accident-prone areas are to be prioritized.
The justices also ordered that the Mathura Road crossing near Delhi High Court and the Zoo be treated as the first site for intervention, with all necessary safety measures—signals, crossings, or bridges—to be completed within seven months.
In its broader directives, the Court urged states and Union Territories to implement road designs and rules under the Motor Vehicles Act focusing on pedestrian safety, footpaths, and disciplined traffic movement—signaling that road safety begins with protecting those who walk.