Una, June 30: Strict action will now be taken against those parking vehicles unauthorizedly on National Highways. The district administration has implemented a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for this purpose. Under this SOP, vehicle owners will first be issued a preliminary notice and given an opportunity to remove their vehicles. If the vehicles are not removed despite this, they will be towed away using cranes and machinery belonging to road agencies, under the supervision of the district administration and police. Additionally, e-challans will be issued in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
Una Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal stated that this SOP has been implemented in compliance with the Hon'ble Supreme Court's order dated April 13, 2026, and the provisions of the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2022. Its objective is to ensure safe and smooth traffic flow by keeping National Highways free from obstructions.
He informed that enforcement teams would be constituted at the sub-divisional level under the SOP. These teams will comprise the concerned SDM as Chairperson; the SDPO as a member; the Project Director (or their representative) of NHAI PIU Hamirpur as a member; the concerned Executive Engineer of HPPWD (NH) as Member-Secretary; an Assistant Engineer as a member; and the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) as Co-convener. These teams will monitor unauthorized parking on National Highways and ensure action is taken as per the rules.
According to the SOP, patrolling teams from NHAI, HPPWD (NH), and the district police will create GPS-based photographic records of unauthorized parking locations. Based on this, the concerned road agency will issue a preliminary notice to vehicle owners, granting them seven days to remove their vehicles. If the vehicles are not removed within the stipulated period, they will be shifted to a designated location using the cranes and machinery of the road agencies, under the supervision of the district administration and police.
He stated that all evidence related to the action taken would be forwarded to the concerned SDPO, based on which only e-challans would be issued; manual challans will not be issued on the spot. Wherever the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) is available, traffic violations will be detected via VIDES cameras, and the information will be transmitted directly to the police department.
He stated that enforcement actions would be reviewed during the monthly meetings of the District Highway Safety Task Force. Additionally, to ensure effective operations on national highways, the availability of recovery cranes at intervals of no more than 75 kilometers will be ensured.
The Deputy Commissioner remarked that the objective of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to provide safe and seamless travel for road users—by making national highways safe, organized, and obstruction-free—and to reduce the incidence of road accidents.