NEW DELHI — In a major enforcement drive aimed at reducing road accidents and ensuring the seamless flow of freight and passenger traffic, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has intensified its crackdown on unauthorized parking and illegal encroachments across its national corridor network.
The proactive campaign is being executed in strict compliance with directives from the Supreme Court of India and leverages provisions under the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.
Data-Driven Enforcement: 595 Critical Hotspots Identified
To systematically eliminate traffic bottlenecks, NHAI has mapped out 595 critical locations across various states where illegal roadside parking routinely compromises commuter safety.
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Geo-Targeted Audits: Using precise latitude and longitude data, field teams have pinpointed high-risk zones where commercial trucks and passenger vehicles illegally occupy highway shoulders.
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Inter-Agency Task Forces: NHAI is collaborating with state governments and district administrations to set up District Highway Safety Task Forces. These bodies, headed by nominated nodal officers, will ensure sustained compliance and prevent vendors or transporters from re-occupying cleared spaces.
Upgrading Tech and Incident Response Infrastructure
Alongside physical clearance drives, NHAI has ordered an immediate operational audit of its Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) networks to ensure tech-driven surveillance is firing on all cylinders. Field offices must guarantee peak uptime for several critical safety systems:
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Surveillance & Detection: Traffic Monitoring Cameras, Video Incident Detection Systems, and Variable Speed Detection Systems must remain online 24/7 to catch traffic violations and breakdowns in real time.
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Commuter Support: Variable Message Signboards (VMS) and Emergency Call Boxes are being verified for immediate deployment during low-visibility or emergency scenarios.
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On-Ground Assets: The integration of ATMS digital alerts with local law enforcement is being prioritized, alongside the strategic repositioning of highway patrol vehicles, heavy-duty recovery cranes, and emergency ambulances to drastically slash accident response times.
