The Supreme Court on Thursday, 3 September directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to explore deploying cameras at toll plazas and establishing dedicated monitoring rooms to tackle encroachments and illegal parking on national highways. The directive came during suo motu proceedings titled 'In Re: Phalodi Accident', which the apex court initiated following two deadly highway crashes in November 2025.

What the Court Said

A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta questioned why existing toll plaza camera infrastructure could not be repurposed for round-the-clock highway surveillance. 'Why can't you think of a system of monitoring through cameras? A separate arrangement can be made for monitoring at all toll plazas,' the Justice Nath-led Bench observed.

The court's pointed query signals impatience with the pace of implementation. NHAI, appearing before the Bench, submitted that directions for regular patrolling to prevent unauthorised parking had already been issued — but the court's response suggests that patrolling alone has not satisfied the judicial standard of diligence.

Amicus Curiae Flags Illegal Parking as a Root Cause

Senior Advocate A.N.S. Nadkarni, appointed amicus curiae in the matter, told the court that illegal parking of vehicles along national highways remains one of the primary triggers for fatal road accidents. His submission reinforces a pattern the court has repeatedly noted — that stationary vehicles on carriageways create invisible hazards for high-speed traffic, particularly at night.

Pending Affidavits and Next Hearing

The Bench recorded that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Tamil Nadu government had not yet filed their respective affidavits in the matter. The court directed all three to do so before the next date of hearing, now listed for 6 October.

The non-filing by two Union Ministries is notable given the court's earlier comprehensive interim directions, which included a complete ban on parking of heavy and commercial vehicles on highway carriageways and paved shoulders except at designated bays, enforcement via Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), real-time alerts, GPS-tagged photographic evidence, and e-challan mechanisms.

Background: Two Accidents That Triggered the Proceedings

The suo motu proceedings originated from two fatal accidents in November 2025. In the first, a tempo traveller carrying women and children returning from a pilgrimage rammed into a stationary truck on a highway in Rajasthan's Phalodi, killing at least 18 people. The second, on the Telangana-Bijapur highway, claimed 20 lives.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the court had earlier stressed that the 'right to safe passage' is an integral facet of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It had also ordered nationwide highway inspections to identify encroachments, directed the removal of unauthorised roadside structures within the Right of Way, and mandated the constitution of District Highway Safety Task Forces and dedicated surveillance teams.

What Happens Next

With the 6 October hearing approaching, the court will assess compliance with its earlier interim directions alongside the freshly sought affidavits. The question of integrating toll plaza cameras into a centralised monitoring architecture could become a formal directive if NHAI's response is found inadequate. For India's highway safety framework, the case is shaping up as a landmark accountability exercise.