E- Monitoring For Road Safety | Supreme Court Informed About MoRTH Plan To Standardise Guidelines For Uniformity Across Nation

In a plea before the Supreme Court seeking electronic monitoring of roads to ensure safety and prevention of accidents, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India (MoRTH) has indicated that it will undertake the exercise of standardisation and bring detailed guidelines to integrate software and hardware with e-vahan/e-challan to ensure uniformity across India. The matter was heard by a bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala. 

In today's hearing, the amicus curiae in the matter, Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, informed the bench that in pursuance of the order of the Apex court, the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety held several meetings. The order in question had directed for a meeting to be convened by Justice AM Sapre, chairperson of Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety to set out an agreed formulation of modalities for implementing the provisions of Section 136A of the MV Act. Section 136A provides that– "The State Government shall ensure electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety in the manner provided under sub-section (2) on national highways, state highways, roads or in any urban city within a State which has a population up to such limits as may be prescribed by the Central Government."

Advocate Agarwal informed the court that at the meeting held on 18th March 2023, stakeholders including from Union and State governments participated and ASG Madhavi Divan was also present to assist the committee. In the meeting, the Secretary of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India (MoRTH) indicated that the ministry will take out the exercise of standardisation and bring detailed guidelines to integrate software and hardware with e-vahan/e-challan. Further, MoRTH hoped to standardise national guidelines for hardware and software to ensure uniformity across the nation regarding modalities for implementation Section 136A of the V Act, 1988.

The committee in its interim report conveyed its decision to task the NCRB to prepare a Concept Paper, on the modalities of implementation of a nation-wide roll out of effective e-enforcement under Section 136-A.

Taking note of this, the bench observed in the order :

"In view of the above developments and since NCRB is to prepare a concept paper of the modalities of implementing a nationwide rollout of the enforcement of the 136A of the MV Act, we presently stand over the proceedings to 8th August 2023. We request Advocate Gaurav Agarwal to place an updated status report by the next date of hearing."

Earlier, Agarwal had informed the bench that the issue raised in the plea was state specific and that 15 states contributed to 90% of road accidents.

Case Title: S. Rajaseekaran v. UoI And Ors. WP(C) No. 295/2012

Click here to read the order