Pass Active Mobility Bill in assembly: Activists

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Non - motorised transport activists from the city have urged for the Active Mobility Bill to be passed in the assembly’s winter session. The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) had released an official draft of the Active Mobility Bill in the month of December last year. 

The objective of the legislation is to protect the rights of pedestrians and cyclists across all cities in Karnataka by providing designated safe spaces for sustainable urban mobility. The initiative is a first of its kind in the nation where the Bill mandates Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to design an accessible infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists in urban spaces, while facilitating a safe environment for walking and cycling.

Pedestrian deaths rose by 70% between the years 2015 and 2020, and Karnataka saw the most pedestrian deaths in the country at 13% in 2020. Activists are also hopeful that the passing of the bill will help ease traffic congestion in cities to a significant extent. It will also improve community health as individuals will be encouraged to walk or cycle.

The Bill was put up for consultation in January 2022 and received comments by many. The Bill has now been revised based on citizen feedback and submitted to the government for approval. Activists have called for the Bill to be passed during the winter session of the state legislature that will be held in Belagavi from 19 December.