Chandigarh, June 22:
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament from Sangrur, Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, has welcomed the recent judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court recognising the right of pedestrians to use demarcated footpaths as a fundamental right, terming it a landmark decision that strengthens the constitutional guarantee of safe and dignified mobility for every citizen.
Meet Hayer said that the judgment has added significant weight to concerns that he had raised in the Lok Sabha regarding the safety and mobility rights of pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised road users on National Highways.
The MP informed that he had raised the issue in Parliament through Question on July 31, 2025, seeking clarity from the Union Government on whether it recognises the right to safe mobility of pedestrians, cyclists and non-motorised users along or across National Highways and what measures were being taken to ensure safe and accessible infrastructure for vulnerable road users.
“Unfortunately, despite the seriousness of the issue, the Central Government gave a vague and largely procedural reply, merely referring to existing guidelines, surveys and road safety audits without clearly recognising safe mobility as a right or outlining a concrete roadmap for ensuring pedestrian-safe infrastructure across all National Highways,” Meet Hayer said.
He added that the Supreme Court has now unequivocally held that the right to walk is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution, thereby establishing what should have been acknowledged much earlier by the Government.
“The Supreme Court’s judgment is a new ray of hope for millions of pedestrians, cyclists, senior citizens, women, children and persons with disabilities. It will go a long way in ensuring that road infrastructure in the country is designed with people at its centre and not merely vehicles,” he said.
Meet Hayer further stated that the judgment would prove to be a milestone in enforcing the constitutional right to movement and would encourage authorities at all levels to prioritise footpaths, safe crossings, universal accessibility and other essential pedestrian infrastructure in future projects.
Notably, a Bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice A.S. Chandurkar observed that, “The right to walk is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution. It is integral to the right to movement guaranteed under Article 19(1)(d), read with Article 19(1)(a), Article 19(1)(b), Article 19(1)(c) and Article 21 of the Constitution of India.”
