Safety perception plays a crucial role in pedestrians’ walking and crossing decisions, especially for those with walking as the only affordable travel option. These pedestrians walk for the entire journey, not because they “want to” but because they “have to”. Termed as captive pedestrians, this category of road users comprises a significant share of walkers in low- and middle-income countries. Captive pedestrians include vulnerable populations groups, such as women, children, the differently abled, poor working class, and the elderly. Conventional planning models, geared towards highway-oriented policies, prioritize private modes of transport. This compromise the safety of walking environments for captive pedestrians. Despite their substantial representation in daily travel demand, minimal efforts have been made to address the safety concerns of captive pedestrians.

To investigate the relevance of captive pedestrians and their safety perceptions in an urban setting, this study was conducted based on responses retrieved from 409 pedestrians in New Delhi, India. These individuals were categorized into captive and choice pedestrians, considering factors such as vehicle ownership, accessibility, and affordability. Pedestrians are considered as captive walkers if they do not own a vehicle, are unable to access a household vehicle (if available), and cannot afford alternative modes of transportation. The respondents rated their safety perceptions for 21 walking and crossing scenarios. The majority of respondents (68%) were identified to be captive pedestrians. Rasch analysis, a modern psychometric method, assessed pedestrians’ safety perceptions. Results revealed 11 extremely unsafe scenarios, such as running to cross the road and diagonal crossing at intersections. A differential item functioning test highlighted stark differences in the safety perceptions between captive and choice pedestrians for 9 items. Due to extended work hours, captive pedestrians expressed more concerns about travelling at night, the absence of crossing facilities, and poorly lit streets. The presence of other pedestrians, street vendors, police, and camera surveillance enhanced their safety perceptions.

This study underscores the importance of captive pedestrians in urban settings and emphasizes the impact of perceived behavioural control on pedestrian activities. The research also highlights the suitability of Rasch analysis for examining safety perceptions.