Supreme Court: NHAI Must Implement Highway Camera Surveillance

• The Supreme Court questioned the NHAI about installing camera surveillance and monitoring rooms at toll plazas to enhance highway safety.
• This inquiry stems from a suo motu case initiated after a fatal accident in Phalodi, Rajasthan, which claimed 15 lives due to a collision with a stationary truck.
• The Court identified illegal parking and encroachments as critical factors contributing to road accidents on national highways.
• Previous directives from the Court include banning unauthorized parking and new commercial structures within highway rights-of-way.
• The Supreme Court highlighted that national highways, despite their limited length, account for a disproportionately high number of road fatalities in India.

The Supreme Court emphasized that high-speed roads must not become "a corridor of peril" due to administrative shortcomings or infrastructural deficiencies.

The Supreme Court recently pressed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on its capacity to implement camera surveillance systems and establish monitoring rooms at toll plazas. This inquiry, made on a Thursday, aims to bolster road safety by addressing persistent issues such as illegal parking and encroachments along national highways. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, highlighted these two factors as significant contributors to road safety concerns.

This judicial scrutiny arises from an ongoing suo motu case, initiated following a tragic road accident in Phalodi, Rajasthan, which resulted in the loss of 15 lives. The Court directly challenged the NHAI, asking, "Why can’t you think of having a camera surveillance system? You can have monitoring rooms at all toll plazas," underscoring the urgency of adopting modern monitoring solutions to prevent similar incidents and improve highway management.

The suo motu proceedings were prompted by a fatal collision in November of the previous year, where a tempo traveller struck a stationary trailer truck near Matoda village on the Bharat Mala Highway. The accident occurred as the tempo traveller was en route from Bikaner’s Kolayat temple to Jodhpur, bringing the critical issue of stationary vehicles on highways into sharp focus.

In response to escalating road fatalities, the Supreme Court had previously issued several interim directives on April 13. These included a prohibition on heavy or commercial vehicles parking or stopping on any national highway carriageway or paved shoulder, except within designated bays, lay-bys, or wayside amenities. Furthermore, the Court banned the construction or operation of new dhabas, eateries, or commercial structures within the right of way of national highways. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, along with the NHAI, was also mandated to identify accident blackspots and critical areas, and to publish a comprehensive list of these hazardous locations. The NHAI's counsel, appearing before the Court, stated that the authority had already issued circulars requiring regular inspection and patrolling to deter unauthorized parking. Senior Advocate ANS Nadkarni, assisting the Court as amicus curiae, reinforced this point, submitting that illegal parking of vehicles on highways is a primary cause of road accidents.

During the recent hearing, the Supreme Court noted that several key entities had yet to file their compliance affidavits. Specifically, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Tamil Nadu government had not submitted their respective affidavits. The Court granted a two-week extension to the two ministries for filing, while directing the Tamil Nadu government to submit its affidavit before the next scheduled hearing. The matter has been posted for October 6, with the case's listed hearing date being September 3, 2026.

The Court's overarching concern stems from a stark statistic: national highways, which constitute approximately 2% of India’s total road length, are disproportionately responsible for nearly 30% of the nation's road fatalities. The Supreme Court emphasized that high-speed roads must not become "a corridor of peril" due to administrative shortcomings or infrastructural deficiencies, signaling increased judicial scrutiny and a demand for more robust enforcement mechanisms to ensure public safety on national thoroughfares.

This development signals increased judicial scrutiny and potential for stricter enforcement regarding highway safety, particularly concerning illegal parking and encroachments. Lawyers advising transport companies, logistics firms, or businesses operating along national highways should anticipate heightened regulatory compliance demands and potential liabilities arising from accidents linked to non-compliance, necessitating a review of current practices and risk mitigation strategies.

Source: Reporting based on recent court proceedings.