Supreme Court issues guidelines to enhance road safety
What's the story
The Supreme Court of India has issued comprehensive guidelines to enhance road safety across the country. These include a ban on parking heavy vehicles on highways and strict action against illegal roadside structures. The court emphasized that preventable road deaths violate the right to life and directed authorities to take action within fixed timelines.
Fatality statistics
National highways account for nearly 30% of all fatalities
A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar noted that national highways, which make up only 2% of India's total road length, are responsible for nearly 30% of all road fatalities. The court stressed that even one life lost due to avoidable hazards like illegal parking or blackspots is a failure of the state's protective umbrella.
Safety directives
Prohibition on parking heavy vehicles on highways
The Supreme Court has issued several directives to the Ministry of Road and Transport, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and states/UTs. These include prohibiting heavy vehicles from parking on national highway carriageways or paved shoulders unless at designated areas. The court also directed enforcement through Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), real-time alerts to state police, GPS-timestamped photographic evidence, and integrated eChallan generation.
Compliance deadline
Court mandates compliance within 60 days
The court mandated compliance with these directives by officials of NHAI, state police, and transport departments within 60 days. It also prohibited the construction or operation of new commercial structures within the Right of Way (ROW) of national highways. District magistrates are to enforce the demolition/removal of unauthorized structures within 60 days as per established procedures.
License review
Review existing licenses for sites within highway safety zones
The court also ordered a review of existing licenses for sites within highway safety zones within 30 days. It directed the formation of district highway safety task forces in every district across India within 15 days. These task forces will comprise officers from various agencies such as district administration, police, NHAI or concerned land-owning agency, PWD, and local bodies.