Supreme Court declares right to safe road travel part of right to life on April 13

Key facts

• The Supreme Court (SC) declared the right to safe road travel as part of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
• The order was issued on April 13 by a Bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AS Chandurkar.
• The SC directed the constitution of a district highway safety task force in every district across India within seven days.
• The district highway safety task force comprises officers from the district administration, police, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD), and local bodies.
• The SC prohibited the construction or operation of any new dhaba, eatery, or commercial structure within the Right of Way (ROW) of any national highway.
• District magistrates are required to enforce the removal of unauthorised structures within 60 days as per the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002 (CNH Act) and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) dated August 7, 2025.
• Heavy or commercial vehicles are banned from parking or stopping on any national highway carriageway or paved shoulder, except at designated bays, lay-byes, or wayside amenities.
• Enforcement of parking rules will be managed through the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) using real-time alerts, GPS timestamped photographic evidence, and integrated eChallan generation.
• National highways constitute two per cent of India's total road length but account for nearly 30 per cent of all road fatalities.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) must file a compliance report within 75 days.
• The SC initiated a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) following accidents on November 2 near Mathoda in Phalodi district, Rajasthan, and on November 3 on Mirjalguda-Khanapur road near Chevella in Rangareddy district, Telangana.