Ernakulam District Collector G. Priyanka has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the police, Motor Vehicles department (MVD), Public Works department (PWD)’s NH wing and the Revenue department to initiate measures to ensure the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians along national highway (NH) corridors in the district, in the wake of a spree of fatal accidents in Thrissur and other districts in Keralam recently.

These agencies should adhere to orders and guidelines issued in this regard by the Supreme Court and also take steps to clear obstacles from NHs and service roads, it was decided at a meeting chaired by the Collector. Aimed at achieving this, the officials of these agencies and of civic bodies who attended the meeting agreed to initiate steps to ensure pothole-free and safe NHs. They also agreed to carry out frequent inspections and implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure this, says a press release issued on Tuesday (September 8, 2026).

Five teams 

Taking into account the safety hazards due to increasing instances of encroachments and haphazard parking, it was decided to constitute five teams by including personnel from these agencies to identify such issues and to initiate action. The teams led by tahsildars and other senior officials would be deployed on the Muthakunnam-Edapally NH-66, the Edapally-Aroor NH-66 Bypass, the Kochi-Munnar NH-85, the Angamaly-Kundannur NH-544 and on the Container Road. 

Among others, they would take steps to clear encroachments and illegal parking in a time-bound manner. Compliance reports in this regard would be sent to the State government. The NHAI would make available vehicles and drivers for the task, the release says. 

The measures come in the wake of an accident that killed eight students from Tamil Nadu after the multi-utility vehicle they were travelling in rammed a lorry that was parked illegally on the NH stretch in Thrissur, obstructing a traffic diversion board, late on Friday night (September 4, 2026).