Despite a variety of statutes and policies to regulate transport infrastructure and means of transport, pedestrian safety and rights remain hazy in India because the motorized road user remains the central object of statutory concern. Although pedestrians have indirect protection via provisions of the criminal law, there is no direct statutory protection. In the absence of legislative and executive action, the Indian Judiciary has often stepped in to fill the gap, using the sometimes blunt tool of public interest litigation to address various traffic regulations, road safety, and vehicular pollution. We review current policies, statutes and jurisprudence related to pedestrian safety in India. Comparative analysis is done with relevant legislation and policies from countries where pedestrian compliant guidelines have been mandated. This work will lead to a "Charter of pedestrian rights" as the first stage in drafting legislation to implement pedestrian priority designs and traffic management strategies. We provide a preliminary framework of this Charter near the end of this paper. © ASCE.