Pune, 25th March 2022: The Sustainable Urban Mobility Network (SUM Net), a coalition of NGOs from across the country, has written to the Prime Minister urging him to declare a National Pedestrians’ Day. A draft resolution for the same along with a public statement endorsed by more than 165 organisations throughout the country including the World Resources Institute (WRI), Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Consumer VOICE, SaveLife Foundation, Greenpeace India, Janaagraha etc was attached.
The letter to the Prime Minister expresses concerns about declining walk share in cities and the alarming rise in pedestrian fatalities, which is now 25,858 (17% of total road traffic fatalities) and expressed the need for a National pedestrians’ Day as well as a National Pedestrian policy.
Recently the coalition celebrated January 11 as pedestrians’ day across the country. The campaign was launched by SUM Net in October 2021 to highlight the need for safe, convenient, and pleasant walking infrastructure in the country.
As a part of the campaign, SUM Net partners met decision makers in different cities throughout the country in order to solicit their support for the declaration of a National Pedestrians’ Day and to push for policies that will make walking attractive and safe. Various activities like rallies, walkathons, seminars, webinars, competitions, surveys, etc. were organised in several states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujrat, Uttarakhand, etc. It had also called upon other organisations to join the campaign. Several other groups like civil societies, senior citizen groups, schools and colleges, traffic police, government officials, local corporators, etc. also participated in the different activities organised by the stakeholders in various states.
The Pune Municipal Corporation recently declared and celebrated 11th December as Pedestrians’ Day.
In Nagpur and Ramgarh, government officials supported the call for a Pedestrians’ Day. Nagpur Mayor launched this campaign by creating awareness among the people about the right of everyone to walk and asked for this to be celebrated on the 11th of every month. Ramgarh Cantonment Board CEO also supported the campaign and recently celebrated pedestrians’ day by blocking all vehicles on Shivaji Road in the city.
Ranjit Gadgil from Parisar said, “National days serve as occasions to raise awareness about an issue, mobilise grassroot support through actions, garner media attention and thus create political will to address it”.
“The campaign will continue and we will celebrate National Pedestrians’ Day every year by organising various activities on this day to highlight pedestrian issues and to make our cities more walk-friendly”, said campaign coordinator Suraj Jaipurkar.
