Posting encroachers on national highways and the presence of stationary vehicles on these roads have raised concerns before the Supreme Court on Thursday which had questioned the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the failure to come up with a comprehensive camera surveillance system to dabble with the issue.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was sitting on a suo motu case in connection with the 15-dead Macchierey road accident in Phalodi in Jalpur district, Rajasthan. The bench identified highway encroachments and stationary vehicles as two major concerns that can impact a highway’s safety.
The court was informed that NHAI had issued circulars for regular inspection and patrolling against unauthorised parking on highways by a counsel from the body. But the bench gave then the question of why can’t camera coverage and dedicated monitoring rooms be placed at toll plazas to help with enforcement.
Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni, acting as amicus curiae, also made an emphasis on illegal parking on highways as one of the factors causing road accidents.
The court had remarked that the compliance affidavits from the MoRTH and MoHA along with Tamil Nadu government are yet to be submitted. It allowed the two ministries two weeks for filing their affidavits and ordered Tamil Nadu to file answer in proceedings pending next hearing on Oct 6.
The case dates back to a November 2 traffic accident when a tempo travelling from Kolayat temple in Bikaner hit a stationary trailer truck on the Bharat Mala Highway on the route of Phalodi and Jodhpur, killing 15 people.
Previously, the Supreme Court had issued instructions to not stop or park heavy and commercial vehicles at any spot other than a designated spot on the national highway carriageway or pavement. It had also come up with a ban on new dhabas, restaurants and business buildings near the right of way for national roads.
The court also instructed authorities to come up with a list of blackspots and publish them, adding that although national highways make up about 2 per cent of roadways in India, they cause almost 30 per cent of the nation’s accident deaths.