NHAI asks illegal occupants along NHs to close establishments

NEW DELHI: Terming illegal structures like dhabas and hoardings along national highways as "safety hazards" for road users, the National Highways Authority of India ( NHAI) has asked the establishments to clear the structures.

"Various establishments like dhabas, buildings, factories, restaurants, hoardings and advertisements have come up along national highways illegally. These establishments are safety hazards for traffic plying on national highways as they allow illegal access and parking of vehicles on the highways. Further, unauthorised hoardings and advertisements are safety hazards as these distract drivers," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

It said setting up of such structures is a punishable offence under the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002 and directed all such establishments to close the illegal access activities at their level and apply for legal access to their establishments under the policy.

The statement said that such establishments have also been asked to remove all hoardings and advertisements that are distracting drivers and causing safety concerns for the road users.

It said failing this, field officers have been directed to start a special drive to terminate this illegal access, remove hoardings/advertisements along national highways and take action against illegal parking of vehicles with the help of local police and district administration besides lodging police complaint against such defaulters.