Supreme Court ruling on footpath usage

Notes

• Supreme Court Bench (Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar) ruled in Maniyar Iliyaz@Shaik Riyaz versus P. Ayyappan that footpaths are not merely safety strips but essential public spaces.
• The Court declared the right to walk on a comfortable and safe footpath as a priority over movement by motor vehicles.
• The judgment links the right to walk with civilisational advancement and equitable access to urban spaces.
• Article 39(b) of the Constitution is cited, mandating that material resources of the community must be distributed to sub-serve the common good, preventing the monopoly of the motorised class.
• The Court identified urban development authorities, municipal corporations, and panchayats as the primary 'duty-bearers' for footpath maintenance.
• The judgment recommends that the government enact a statutory law to protect the right to walk and establish a dedicated regulator to address pedestrian grievances.
• The Court suggests a framework similar to the Right to Education Act, which created the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights as a regulator.
• The Registry has been directed to send the judgment to Central Ministries and the Law Commission of India for consideration of a legal framework.

Part of a longer story

This is day 1 of 5 in Supreme Court ruling and implementation of footpath rights in Bengaluru, which has been running since 22 June 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

• Arun Pai's Bengaluru pavement initiative After
• The whole story 5 entries