NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court docket has issued sweeping pan-India instructions to enhance street security, together with a ban on parking of heavy and industrial automobiles on nationwide highways, warning that expressways should not flip into “corridors of peril” as a result of administrative lapses or infrastructure gaps.A bench of Justices J Okay Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar famous that nationwide highways make up simply 2% of India’s street community however account for almost 30% of street fatalities. The courtroom confused that even a single avoidable dying displays a failure of the State.“The lack of even a single life to avoidable hazards like unlawful parking or blackspots and so on., represents a failure of the State’s protecting umbrella,” the courtroom stated in its order of April 13, linking street security on to the Proper to Life beneath Article 21.“The ‘Proper to Life’ enshrined beneath Article 21 of the Structure of India is just not merely a assure in opposition to the illegal taking of life, however a optimistic mandate upon the State to make sure a protected atmosphere the place human life is preserved and valued”, the courtroom added.
Ban on freeway parking, strict enforcement ordered
The courtroom directed that no heavy or industrial automobile shall cease or park on any nationwide freeway carriageway or paved shoulder besides at designated bays or lay-bys. Enforcement can be carried out by Superior Site visitors Administration Programs (ATMS), GPS-based photographic proof, and eChallan mechanisms.Authorities, together with the ministry of street transport and highways, Nationwide Highways Authority of India, state police and transport departments have been requested to make sure compliance inside 60 days. District magistrates will arrange customary working procedures for inspections and patrolling.
Crackdown on unlawful buildings, new approvals restricted
In a significant step, the courtroom ordered an instantaneous ban on development or operation of latest dhabas or industrial buildings inside freeway proper of manner. Current unauthorised buildings have to be eliminated inside 60 days.It additionally directed that no licence or approval be granted for institutions inside freeway security zones with out clearance from NHAI or PWD, and all current licences have to be reviewed inside 30 days.
Activity forces, monitoring and blackspot fixes
The bench mandated the creation of district-level freeway security activity forces inside 15 days, comprising officers from administration, police, NHAI and native our bodies. It additionally referred to as for improved surveillance, lighting of accident-prone “blackspots”, and improvement of truck lay-bys and emergency techniques.The instructions got here in a suo motu case following accidents in Rajasthan and Telangana in November 2025 that killed 34 folks, highlighting systemic negligence. The courtroom has requested the Centre to file a compliance report inside 75 days and posted the matter for additional listening to after two months.