NHAI orders drive to remove encroachment from national highways

The National Highways Authority of India has ordered a special drive to remove encroachments — including illegal parking of vehicles, and hoardings and advertisements — from the national highways, it said on Tuesday.

The NHAI also issued an appeal to all road-side establishments like ‘dhabas’, buildings, factories and restaurants to close the illegal access activities at their level and apply for legal access to their establishments, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry said in a statement.

“They have been asked to remove all the hoardings and advertisements distracting the attention of drivers for safety of the road users,” it said.

“Failing this, field officers have been directed to start a special drive to terminate these illegal access, remove hoardings and advertisements from the national highways and take action against illegal parking of vehicles with the help of local police and district administration, including lodging of police complaint against such defaulters,” the statement added.

It said that various establishments had illegally come up along the national highways which are safety hazards for the traffic as they allow illegal access and parking of vehicles on the highways.

“Setting up of these illegal establishments is a punishable offence under Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002,” it said.