Mumbai, November 10 (IANS) Amid rising deaths in road accidents, the Maharashtra government on Monday directed all municipal corporations, including those of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to allocate at least one per cent of their annual budget for road safety, traffic discipline and public awareness initiatives, in line with Supreme Court directions on pedestrian safety.

The State Urban Development Department has released a government resolution in this regard.

The government resolution follows the Supreme Court’s orders in a public interest litigation filed by S. Rajasekaran regarding pedestrian safety.

The order mandates that every civic body must open a separate budgetary head for this purpose and utilise the funds exclusively for road and pedestrian safety-related measures.

The government resolution at length has mentioned 14 specific directives for all urban local bodies.

Among the key measures is a provision for installation of tactile paving at major public transport hubs — including bus stands, metro and railway stations — to ensure better accessibility for the visually impaired.

Civic bodies are required to coordinate with the traffic department to improve pedestrian access and provide “seamless entry, waiting areas and tactile routes”.

Municipal corporations have also been instructed to conduct comprehensive footpath audits every six months through registered auditing agencies, prioritising busy areas such as markets, schools, colleges, transport terminals and tourist spots.

The audit report, along with a time-bound plan for repairs, must be submitted to the Urban Development Department, the government resolution said.

The state government has asked all civic bodies to remove encroachments from footpaths and pedestrian corridors, maintain proper lighting, cleanliness and CCTV surveillance on pedestrian bridges and subways, and ensure that zebra crossings comply with Indian Roads Congress and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs guidelines.

Each municipal corporation will also set up a dedicated ‘Accessibility and Pedestrian Cell’ to oversee planning, implementation, maintenance and grievance redressal.

Accident-prone areas must be identified in coordination with the police, and safety personnel deployed where necessary, the government resolution added.

The state government has directed civic bodies to ensure that at least 20 per cent of city roads are surveyed annually to assess the need for new pedestrian crossings, while non-motorised transport — such as cycling and walking — must be promoted through proper regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act.

All municipal corporations have been asked to establish an online grievance portal for complaints regarding encroachments, damaged pavements or pedestrian facilities, with mandatory resolution within 15 days.

The state government has insisted for strict compliance of the government resolution warning civic bodies to ensure that no violation of the Supreme Court’s directives occurs.

–IANS

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