Supreme Court orders removal of roadside structures on national highways
The Supreme Court just ordered the removal of unauthorized structures within the right of way of national highways, including new dhabas, eateries and commercial structures and banned heavy and commercial vehicles from parking or stopping on highway carriageways or paved shoulders except at designated bays, lay-byes or wayside amenities, aiming to make travel safer and cut down on accidents.
This is part of a bigger push to fix road safety issues that have been ignored for too long.
Road deaths concentrated on Indian highways
Even though highways make up only 2% of India's roads, they account for a shocking 30% of road deaths.
To tackle this, authorities now have 60 days to remove illegal structures and set up regular safety checks.
Plus, an Advanced Traffic Management System will soon help monitor traffic in real time, hopefully making commutes less risky for everyone.