Safety Of Pedestrians Paramount: Kerala High Court Directs Ernakulam District Collector To Submit Report On 'Operation Footpath'

Single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran observed that taking steps for footpath safety was important now especially due to the heavy rains. The citizens would not be able to differentiate between road and footpath area due to the flooding. The Court observed that when it talk about roads, attention should also go to pedestrian areas.

“A city is worth only if it is capable of being walked upon.”

The Court observed that urban planning and development requires to consider the safety of pedestrians also. It lamented the lack of a collective voice due to which the issue of footpath always remained in the backseat. “People get distracted with inane things which don't concern them.”

The Court declared that now the State should consider pedestrian safety to be of paramount importance and treat it as a priority. It cautioned that accidents are just waiting to happen. "There are open drains and the pedestrians have to step carefully to not fall into any drains while walking."

The Court remarked that the Municipal Corporation, Kochi Metro Rail Corporation, PWD and every other stakeholder has a role to play and this has to be ensured by the District Collector as the Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority. A bad road is a man-made disaster as it awaits tragedies which needs to be avoided, it added.

An estimate of how much it would cost for work on the M.G. Road was submitted to the Court. This includes the cost to widen and slab the existing drainages. The Court directed the Government Pleader to get instruction from the government concerning the estimate.

Case Title: Pauly Vadakkan v Corporation of Cochin and Others

Case Number: WP(C ) 34310/ 2019