A view of the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Western Express Highway amid continuous rainfall, in Mumbai on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)Following the Supreme Court order on unauthorised parking on the highways, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 595 critical locations across the highways in all states, which have become an usual place for vehicle parking on the side of main carriageway.Officials said that 20 such locations have been identified in each state along with longitude and latitude details as part of the initiative. These are also the locations where accidents frequently occur.“This is the first phase of identification of unauthorised parkings. After freeing these hotspots, the other stretches will also be identified. We have sought help from the state governments and district administration to clear illegal parking on highways,” said an NHAI official.Also Read | NHAI goes AI way: In-house system deployed to flag faults in highway project reports, track road defectsFor instance, in Delhi-NCR, these unauthorised parking areas have been identified on Meerut-Bulandshahr section of NH-334, Urban Extension Road (UER-II) in North west Delhi, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Delhi-Vadodara expressway, NH-248A in Gurgaon, Delhi-Agra section of National highway-2 in Palwal etc.The parking of vehicles on highways has been one of the key regions for the accidents, as drivers fail to notice the parked vehicles at night or misjudge whether they are stationary or moving. This also happens due to the unauthorised operation of roadside dhabas, where truck drivers and helpers usually cross the railing to take meals after parking their vehicles on the road.In its order on April 13, the court clearly said that no heavy or commercial vehicle shall park or stop on any National Highway carriageway or paved shoulder except at a designated bay, lay-bye, or Wayside Amenity. The court said the authorities should use Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to track such vehicles, send alerts to police with GPS-timestamped photographic evidence and integrate it with e-Challan.Also Read | 10 upcoming projects, 186 km roads, Rs 34,800 crore cost: How is NHAI planning to decongest DelhiWhile the installation of ATMS on all highways will take time, the NHAI official said enhanced highway patrolling, integration of ATMS alerts (wherever available) with police and proactive maintenance of safety infrastructure are being prioritized.Story continues below this adThe Supreme Court’s order came on a suo motu case, where 34 lives were lost in two separate road accidents in November 2025. These accidents took place in Rajasthan’s Phalodi district and Telangana’s Rangareddy district.Apart from unauthorised parking, the court also prohibited the construction and operation of any new dhaba, eatery, or commercial structure within the Right of Way (ROW) of any National Highway. The court has ordered that District Magistrates shall enforce the demolition of all new and existing unauthorised structures.Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More