Andhra Pradesh has unveiled a Pedestrian Safety and Universal Accessibility Policy intended to make walking and public spaces safer and more inclusive. The state government presented the policy as a framework to guide urban and rural local bodies in redesigning footpaths, crossings and public facilities to serve all residents. It emphasises accessible design for persons with disabilities, older people and caregivers with young children. Officials indicated the approach prioritises pedestrians within transport planning.\n\nThe policy outlines design standards and maintenance practices aimed at removing barriers on pedestrian routes and at transit nodes. It calls for continuous footpaths, dropped kerbs, tactile paving and clear signage to assist navigation and safety. Municipal authorities are urged to integrate these standards into road upgrade works and to coordinate with public transport agencies. The document also highlights the need for training, auditing and community engagement to sustain improvements.\n\nImplementation responsibilities are assigned across departments to ensure funding, enforcement and monitoring are aligned. The policy specifies performance indicators and periodic reviews to measure accessibility outcomes and pedestrian reductions in conflict with vehicles. Technical guidance is provided to assist smaller towns and gram panchayats in adapting standards to local contexts without compromising safety. The state government plans capacity building for engineers and planners to embed universal design principles into routine projects.\n\nStakeholders including disability rights groups, urban designers and civil society organisations are encouraged to participate in roll out and feedback mechanisms to ensure the policy is responsive to lived experiences. Monitoring provisions will enable reporting on progress and corrective action where standards are not met, while funding allocations will be mainstreamed within municipal budgets and state programmes to support retrofits and new works. The state framed the policy as part of a broader effort to make public space equitable while promoting walking as a safe, accessible mode of transport.