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The Kerala government has launched a round-the-clock enforcement mechanism on national highways by dividing the state's highway network into six enforcement zones. The initiative aims to curb overspeeding, traffic violations and road accidents through continuous mobile patrolling and coordinated enforcement. Each zone, covering around 100 km of national highways, will be monitored by dedicated transport enforcement teams under the supervision of Deputy Transport Commissioners. The move follows a recent fatal road accident in Malappuram and is intended to improve compliance with traffic regulations, strengthen emergency response and enhance road safety across Kerala's expanding highway network.
The Kerala government has introduced a 24-hour enforcement mechanism across the state's national highway network by dividing it into six dedicated enforcement zones, as part of measures to reduce road accidents, overspeeding and traffic violations. Announced earlier this week, the initiative will deploy specialised transport enforcement teams for continuous highway patrols and coordinated monitoring across major road corridors.
Under the new arrangement, Kerala's national highways have been divided into six stretches of approximately 100 km each. Two southern zones will function under the Deputy Transport Commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram, while one central zone each will be supervised by the Deputy Transport Commissioners in Ernakulam and Thrissur. The remaining two northern zones will be administered by the Deputy Transport Commissioner, Kozhikode. Dedicated enforcement squads comprising Motor Vehicle Inspectors, Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspectors and drivers will operate in shifts to ensure uninterrupted surveillance without affecting regular departmental functions.
The enforcement teams will focus on preventing overspeeding, reckless driving, drunken driving, mobile phone use while driving and other traffic violations. They will also monitor compliance with helmet and seatbelt regulations, overloaded goods vehicles, unauthorised vehicle modifications, and the validity of vehicle fitness certificates, permits and insurance documents.
Unlike conventional checkpoint-based enforcement, the new system will rely primarily on continuous mobile patrolling across designated highway stretches. The squads will conduct surprise inspections and work in coordination with the Kerala Police to improve compliance and respond more effectively to traffic incidents. Enforcement officers will also use digital monitoring systems and camera footage provided by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to identify and prosecute traffic offenders.
The initiative follows a recent fatal accident involving a private bus near Kuttipuram in Malappuram district, where overspeeding was reported to have contributed to the crash. The incident prompted the state government to strengthen highway enforcement and improve monitoring across major transport corridors.
In addition to traffic enforcement, the highway patrol teams will function as first responders at accident sites by assisting in clearing damaged vehicles, coordinating with emergency services and identifying accident-prone locations requiring engineering or infrastructure improvements. Deputy Transport Commissioners will oversee operations through GPS-based personnel tracking and conduct regular review meetings with Regional Transport Officers and local police authorities to assess enforcement performance and road safety outcomes.
Source - PTI
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