India's Supreme Court has ruled that footpaths are vital public spaces with purposes beyond the prevention of motor vehicle accidents.
This judgment shifts the legal understanding of urban infrastructure by prioritizing pedestrian rights and recognizing that walking paths have an independent identity. By decoupling footpaths from the sole objective of accident avoidance, the court establishes a broader mandate for how cities must manage and protect these spaces.
Justice Narasimha delivered the judgment, which asserts that footpaths possess their own identity and purpose [1]. The ruling suggests that these areas are not merely safety buffers for motorists and pedestrians, but are essential components of the public realm [1].
While the court focuses on the conceptual purpose of these spaces, urban transport experts in Bengaluru are highlighting the immediate physical dangers facing walkers. In Bengaluru, data through November 2025 shows that pedestrian accidents occur at a rate of over 100 per month [2].
Experts said that the current state of Bengaluru's footpaths contributes to these high numbers. They said that fixing these walkways is a necessary step to mitigate the frequent accidents occurring in the city [2]. This creates a tension between the legal view of footpaths as civic spaces and the practical view of footpaths as critical safety infrastructure.
The Supreme Court's decision provides a legal framework for pedestrians to claim their right to the city. However, the disparity between judicial recognition and the reality of crumbling infrastructure remains a challenge for urban planners in major Indian hubs [1], [2].
“Footpaths have an identity and purpose of their own.”
The ruling creates a legal precedent that protects pedestrian spaces from being viewed solely as traffic-management tools. By defining footpaths as public spaces, the court enables a stronger legal basis for citizens to demand high-quality urban design, though the high accident rates in cities like Bengaluru show that legal recognition must be paired with physical infrastructure investment to improve safety.
