Parliamentary panel pitches dedicated patrolling force for national highways

Flagging a major gap in highway safety enforcement, a parliamentary committee has recommended the creation of a dedicated National Highway Safety Patrol to improve accident response, enforce traffic discipline and protect road assets across the country’s expanding highway network.

The recommendation comes against the backdrop of India recording about 4.73 lakh road accidents and 1.70 lakh fatalities in 2024, with the National Highways alone accounting for over 52,600 deaths, according to the Transport Research Wing of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

“The Committee recommends that the Ministry examine the feasibility of establishing a dedicated National Highway Safety Patrol, drawing upon successful institutional models such as the Railway Protection Force which has demonstrated effectiveness in asset protection and passenger safety across the railway network,” according to a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture chaired by JD(U) MP Sanjay K. Jha, which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday (March 25, 2026).

According to the panel, even a pilot rollout on high-accident corridors and expressways could significantly improve real-time response during the “golden hour” (the critical first 60 minutes after a severe traumatic injury), enforce speed and lane discipline on access-controlled roads, and deter encroachments and damage to highway infrastructure. The patrol would also complement digital enforcement systems being deployed under the Intelligent Traffic Management System.

‘Dedicated mechanism needed’

“The Committee is of the view that the present dependence on State Police forces, whose jurisdiction and priorities extend well beyond highway safety, is insufficient for the scale of the National Highway network, and a dedicated institutional mechanism warrants serious consideration,” the report stated.

Separately, the Committee flagged gaps in the government’s approach to black spot remediation, noting the absence of data to verify whether previously treated accident-prone locations remain safe.

The panel recommended instituting a structured post-rectification safety audit for all treated black spots. Locations where accident rates do not fall to acceptable levels should be reclassified for more advanced engineering interventions, such as grade separation or geometric realignment, it said.