Ludhiana: Workshop on pedestrian safety held at MC zone-D office
MC Ludhiana and PRSTRC conducted a workshop on pedestrian safety and infrastructure to improve road safety in the city, aiming to become a pedestrian-friendly smart city.
With an aim to ensure pedestrian safety on city roads, municipal corporation (MC) Ludhiana, in collaboration with the Punjab Road Safety and Traffic Research Centre (PRSTRC), SAS Nagar (Mohali), conducted a capacity building and training workshop on pedestrian safety, infrastructure, and the right to walk at MC zone-D office in Sarabha Nagar on Thursday.
The workshop aimed at sensitising the engineers about various standards/infrastructure improvements for pedestrian safety. It was organised under the guidance of MC commissioner Sandeep Rishi and was attended by the civic body engineers including superintending engineers, executive engineers etc.
PRSTRC director of PRSTRC, Navdeep Asija conducted the workshop, also attended by the MC Additional Commissioner Paramdeep Singh. The civic body has engaged the services of PRSTRC for improving road infrastructure to ensure road safety. Punjab Road Safety Council member Rahul Verma also participated in the workshop. During the workshop, it was stated that Ludhiana faces significant road safety challenges with approximately 400 road accident fatalities annually, around 35 to 40% of which involve pedestrians and cyclists.
This workshop addressed crucial design aspects for creating safe infrastructure for pedestrians and other non-motorised users, including safety audits and the Punjab government’s commitment to the right to walk, as guaranteed under article 21. Director of Asija emphasised that well-designed footpaths and sidewalks are essential for demonstrating care for pedestrians. He highlighted that the right to walk is not just a legal guarantee but a fundamental aspect of urban planning that ensures safety and accessibility for all citizens.
The workshop also introduced the safe system approach, which focuses on designing road systems that accommodate human error and minimise the risk of fatal and serious injuries. Aligning with global best practices to create a safer environment for all road users, this approach integrates road safety into every aspect of road design, infrastructure and policy.
MC commissioner Sandeep Rishi and additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh reaffirmed the goal of becoming a pedestrian-friendly smart city in line with global standards. They further stated that these kinds of workshops certainly help in sensitising the officials about global standards and what steps can be taken to improve the infrastructure. They also appreciated the efforts being put in by Asija and his team in achieving the goal of road safety.
MC superintending engineers (SE) including Sanjay Kanwar, Praveen Singla, Ranjit Singh among other officials stated that such workshops will certainly help in establishing safer road infrastructure, as there is always a scope of improvement with new technologies/infrastructure available in the market. The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks to all participants by Suraj Chhabra, resident engineer of PRSTRC.