Supreme Court Steps In After Deadly Highway Accidents: Orders Nationwide Review of Road Safety and Illegal Dhabas.


10 November 2025 Civil Writ Petition >> Civil & Consumer Law  

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of two horrific road accidents that claimed over thirty lives recently across Rajasthan and Telangana, highlighting grave shortcomings in highway safety and public infrastructure. The bench led by Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi examined the causes and accountability pertaining to the tragedies in Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 9 of 2025 on November 10, 2025.

The Court pointed to serious lapses on the part of the authorities in both incidents. A bus carrying pilgrims rammed into a stationary trailer parked near a roadside dhaba along the Bharatmala Expressway in Rajasthan’s Phalodi district. According to reports, several unauthorized eateries had mushroomed illegally along the highway, which encouraged truck drivers to halt and park on the roadside, risking the lives of travelers. In the second incident near Rangareddy district of Telangana, an overloaded gravel-laden lorry collided with a state transport bus, killing 19 passengers when trying to avoid a pothole. Non-availability of streetlights, dividers, and proper signage were cited as contributory factors.

 

 

The Court termed these incidents a failure of preventive governance, and hence, Article 21 of the Constitution also includes the duty of the State to ensure safety and reliability in public infrastructure. The bench observed that such loss of lives, caused because of negligence and inaction, can’t be brushed aside once public funds are routinely collected through tolls and maintenance contracts.

The Supreme Court, acting proactively, asked NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to conduct a survey and file, within two weeks, a report with regard to unauthorized establishments along the highways in question and the standards adopted for the maintenance by the contractors. It also issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh—states through which the two expressways pass—to provide comprehensive data on road conditions and encroachments.

The Court has appointed senior advocate A.N.S. Nadkarni as Amicus Curiae to assist it in assessing the compliance and finding systemic bottlenecks in road safety enforcement. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on December 15, 2025.

This suo motu action by the Supreme Court again reinforces its constitutional mandate as the guardian of the fundamental rights of the citizens, linking infrastructure governance directly with the sanctity of human life.


Section 21, Constitution of India - 1950  

Constitution of India, 1950