Senior state bureaucrats, including DGP Rajiv Kumar Sharma, and traffic experts from across India sharply criticized Jaipur's road safety arrangements during a symposium held in the city on Thursday. The event, titled 'Beyond Road Safety Awareness: A Symposium on Systems-Led Road Safety Action,' was organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the Muskaan Foundation For Road Safety.
Pedestrian Safety Concerns
Experts highlighted that most Jaipur roads lack basic pedestrian protection. Safe crossings are missing or poorly marked, footpaths are discontinuous or absent, and signage is inadequate, they stated. The experts added that junctions across the city function without essential traffic engineering inputs such as lane discipline, signal design suited to traffic volumes, and speed-calming measures that reduce crash severity.
Dr. Rohit Baluja, president of the Institute of Road Traffic Education, Faridabad, explained: 'When it comes to traffic, there are two types of engineering – road engineering and traffic engineering. All engineers engaged with civic bodies, like the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), are civil engineers and are experts in road engineering. This is the reason why all junctions in Jaipur lack safety aspects of traffic engineering.'
Sewa Ram, dean (Research) of the Department of Transport Planning at the School of Planning and Architecture and vice president of the Indian Road Congress, added: 'The city lacks basic pedestrian facilities and proper traffic signage.'
Link to High Accident Rates
The experts linked these shortcomings to Jaipur's repeated placement among India's most accident-prone, high-fatality cities over the past three years. 'This is why Jaipur recorded such a high rate of traffic accidents and traffic fatalities in the last few years. Jaipur ranked second in terms of road accidents in 2024,' stated Sewa Ram.
Organizers said recommendations from the symposium will be compiled into an action plan for Rajasthan and shared with relevant stakeholders for implementation. Senior officials present included DG Jail Ashok Kumar Rathore, ADG Law and Order VK Singh, Transport and Road Secretary Bhawani Singh Detha, and senior traffic officials from the Jaipur Commissionerate.
