The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with telecom service providers (TSPs), has launched a pilot initiative to deliver real-time safety alerts to highway users approaching stretches prone to stray cattle movement. The initiative forms part of the road safety measures being undertaken during Road Safety Month 2026 and aims to reduce accidents caused by sudden cattle movement, especially under foggy and low-visibility conditions, according to an official release from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
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Pilot Targets Cattle-Prone Highway Stretches
The pilot is being implemented on the Jaipur–Agra and Jaipur–Rewari National Highway corridors, which have been identified as high-risk zones based on historical accident data and field-level assessments. Under the project, location-based alerts will be triggered for commuters around 10 km before the identified cattle-prone stretches, providing advance warning and allowing drivers to take precautionary measures.
Flash SMS and Voice Alerts to Provide Advance Warning
During the pilot phase, safety advisories will be communicated through a Flash SMS, followed by a voice alert. The Flash SMS will be issued in Hindi, stating, “There is a stray cattle–prone area ahead. Please drive slowly and carefully.” [translated to Hindi] with the same message conveyed through the subsequent voice alert. To avoid alert fatigue, repeat alerts will not be sent to the same user within a 30-minute interval.
Telecom Infrastructure Powers Real-Time Advisories
The Ministry said "the initiative will leverage telecom technology to provide timely and targeted advisories, thereby improving driver awareness and enhancing safety on National Highways. Alerts will be generated based on mapped cattle-prone zones identified through historical accident data as well as field-level inputs and will be delivered using the upgraded telecom infrastructure." As part of the project, Reliance Jio has enhanced its platform to enable nation-wide delivery of such real-time alerts.
Nationwide Scale-Up to Be Evaluated Post Pilot
NHAI said the outcomes of the pilot will be evaluated before considering its expansion to other cattle-prone National Highway stretches, as part of its broader efforts to improve road safety and enhance user experience across the highway network.
