768 pedestrians killed in Bengaluru in 3 years, Karnataka yet to table Active Mobility Bill

An online petition on Jhatkaa.org titled ‘Pass the Active Mobility Bill: Make Karnataka Walking and Cycling-Friendly’ has garnered 5,430 signatures.

Pedestrians remain vulnerable on Bengaluru’s roads, with 768 fatalities reported in the last three years. India's tech capital recorded 248 pedestrian deaths in 2022, 287 in 2023, and 233 in 2024 due to road crashes.

Traffic police officials said in a statement they have implemented measures to identify and rectify accident-prone ‘blackspots’ across the city. “The efforts have paid off, leading to a significant reduction in pedestrian deaths in 2024—a 23.17% decrease compared to 2023,” said MN Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru city traffic).

However, complaints about encroached or missing footpaths force pedestrians to walk on the main carriageway. Complaints about two-wheelers riding on footpaths are rampant, and wider pavements are largely confined to Bengaluru’s Central Business District.

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According to a road safety report on the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (BMR) for 2019–2022, a total of 5,604 fatalities were recorded on BMR roads. Two-wheeler riders accounted for 58 percent of these deaths, while pedestrians made up 29 percent, together comprising 86 percent of the total fatalities. Of the 1,882 pedestrians who lost their lives during this period, 81 percent of the victims were men. Senior citizens aged over 60 years were the most affected age group (26.2 percent of fatalities). Fatal collisions with motorcycles (27 percent) and light motor vehicles (25 percent) were the primary causes of pedestrian deaths.

Meanwhile, Karnataka's Active Mobility bill is yet to table the draft Active Mobility bill, prepared by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) in December 2021, in the Karnataka Assembly.  An online petition on Jhatkaa.org titled ‘Pass the Active Mobility Bill: Make Karnataka Walking and Cycling-Friendly’ has garnered 5,430 signatures.

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DULT commissioner Deepa Cholan was unavailable to comment.

Transport planner Satya Arikutharam said, “The draft bill promotes walking and cycling in urban areas across the state and safeguards the rights of pedestrians and cyclists by mandating safe, accessible, and connected networks. Despite public consultations, it has not been tabled.”

Arikutharam added that DULT lacks a full-time commissioner. “Though the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Bill received the governor’s assent, the government has not established the authority. Karnataka should follow Singapore’s example, which was among the first to implement active mobility laws.”

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Srinivas Alavilli, a public transport campaigner, said, “Speed-calming measures, pelican signals, and at-grade pedestrian crossings are essential. Every citizen is a pedestrian and must have the first right of way in our cities.” He said that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is working on making 75 junctions safer for pedestrians under the Suraksha Mission. “Pedestrian signals must allow a minimum of 30 seconds for crossing, and major junctions should include pedestrian islands.”