The Supreme Court has issued a series of pan-India guidelines to enhance road safety, observing that expressways must not become corridors of danger due to administrative lapses or infrastructure gaps. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar noted that national highways account for only about two percent of India’s total road network but nearly 30 percent of road fatalities. The Court said that the loss of even a single life due to avoidable hazards reflects a failure of the State.
It ordered that no heavy or commercial vehicle shall park or stop on any national highway carriageway or paved shoulder, except at designated bays or authorised wayside facilities. Among other directions, the Court also prohibited with immediate effect the construction or operation of any new dhaba, eatery or commercial structure within the Right of Way of national highways. The Court said enforcement will be carried out through the Advanced Traffic Management System, including real-time alerts to State Police, GPS-based timestamped photographic evidence, and integrated e-challan generation.
The bench directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the National Highways Authority of India, and all States and Union Territories to take immediate steps to improve safety on highways.
