The road accident data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport Highways for the year 2012 shows that every hour one person is either killed or injured in road accident in Delhi. If it is not easy and safe for people to walk and cycle, or access public transport to reach homes, offices and recreation centres, they will steadily shift to personal vehicles and add to the pollution and congestion crisis. Road, urban design and transportation planning should give primacy to people and their safety. This is an occasion to send out the grim reminder that road and urban design oriented towards increasing speed of motor vehicles is also responsible for increasing accident risk in the city.

The paradigm shift is needed to ensure zero tolerance for any injury on roads. Even today the majority walks and cycles and uses public transport to work. In many Indian cities people who commute by walking and cycling outnumber those who use their vehicles. Yet, they travel in extremely unsafe and hostile conditions, in constant conflict with motorized traffic and are easy victims to crashes and accidents.

This is an event to discuss the findings of our rapid review and assessment of Delhi’s accident hotspots, policy gaps related to road safety and the way forward. It is time to set a whole new term of policy debate that can compel regulators to seek solutions to find a whole new way of organizing cities to improve safety and the quality of urban life.