New Delhi, Oct 7: In a significant move aimed at improving road safety across India, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all states and Union Territories to formulate and implement road safety rules within six months. The focus of the directions is to regulate the movement of non-motorised vehicles and pedestrians in public spaces, including national and state highways.
A bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan issued the orders under Sections 138(1A) and 210D of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The court instructed that states and UTs should frame rules regulating activities and access of non-mechanically propelled vehicles and pedestrians in public spaces and national highways under Section 138(1A). Additionally, the bench directed the formulation and notification of rules under Section 210D to ensure proper design, construction, and maintenance standards for roads other than national highways.
The directions came in response to a petition filed by Coimbatore-based surgeon S. Rajaseekaran, who highlighted India’s persistently high road accident rates. The plea urged the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to coordinate with state governments to prevent road accidents and ensure safer public spaces for pedestrians and non-motorised transport users.
The Supreme Court emphasized that timely implementation of these rules is critical to reducing accidents, improving public safety, and creating a more organised traffic ecosystem across the country. States and Union Territories have been given a six-month timeline to complete the framing of the rules, failure of which may attract further judicial intervention to ensure compliance.
This landmark order aims to bring uniformity in road safety measures across India, particularly focusing on vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorised vehicle operators, while enhancing the overall safety standards on public roads and highways. (Agencies)
