Pedestrian Safety near Bus Stops in Delhi: A Matched Case-Control Study Comparing Daytime and Nighttime Exposures

This study evaluates the crash risks faced by pedestrians near bus stops at different times of the day in Delhi, India. As all bus commuters are also pedestrians, they often encounter conflicts with motorized traffic, particularly in areas lacking dedicated pedestrian infrastructure, such as sidewalks and safe crosswalks. Understanding risk exposure in these zones is crucial for designing effective safety interventions. A matched case-control study was conducted using 164 bus stops, selected based on administrative district, distance from the central business district, and adjacent road type. Video surveys and infrastructure audits were conducted to capture various road user characteristics, including traffic speed, volume, bus frequency, boarding and alighting activity, as well as built-environment features. The analysis was conducted separately for bus stops identified as high-risk during the day and night. The results indicated that during the daytime, the presence of parking near bus stops increases the odds of a fatal incident by about 24 times, while wider sidewalks (higher than 1.5 m) are associated with a 5% reduction in fatality risk. At night, foot-over-bridges and subways near bus stops were linked to a 29-fold increase in pedestrian crash risk, whereas well-lit bus stops reduced the severity risk by 12% compared to poorly lit ones. The study highlights the value of limited data and alternative methods for deriving crash modification factors to improve pedestrian safety. It recommends targeted interventions such as removing on-street parking near bus stops, installing at-grade zebra crossings, maintaining elevators or escalators at existing grade-separated crossings, enhancing lighting around bus shelters, and providing temporary walkways when sidewalks are absent. These practical, short-term measures can be implemented in high-risk areas and are applicable to cities with similar traffic, infrastructure, and socioeconomic contexts.