MARGAO
In July 2020, when the South Goa District Hospital was made operational, the Goa Traffic Police had sent an SOS to the Principal Chief Engineer, PWD to implement a slew of measures outside the hospital to regulate traffic flow and to save the motorists and pedestrians alike from the danger of accidents.
While the shifting of Hospicio services to the district hospital has thrown up the issues on parking, the letter by then Superintendent of Police, Traffic Dinraj Govekar last year was very specific, undertake road widening and improvements near the new district hospital, Margao on account of heavy increase in the movement of pedestrian and vehicular traffic at and around the new district hospital.
A year down the line, the ground reality around the district hospital remains unchanged. The main road from Nuvem to Ambaji has not been four-lanned till date to cater to the requirements of increased vehicular traffic.
The SP’s letter had called for the construction of a footpath from the new district hospital to the KTC bus stand to ensure a dedicated way for the pedestrians. Pedestrians continue to be exposed to the danger of being knocked down by the speeding vehicles for want of a pedestrian track.
Amongst other suggestions, the Traffic Department had called for the construction of bus bays with shelters on either side of the road near the district hospital. The ground reality, however, remains unchanged.
Traffic police officials informed that they will send a reminder to the authorities to ensure that the road safety and road engineering issues are being tackled on top priority by the administration.
GOACAN convenor Roland Martins, who had dashed off a letter to the district Collector and Magistrate in May last year, said the district administration should immediately call a meeting of the concerned authorities, including the PWD, National Highway, PWD roads, traffic police and the health officials to discuss the issues thrown up by the shifting of Hospicio services to the South Goa district hospital.
“A pedestrian had lost his life last year while crossing the road near the district hospital. We have seen on Monday how the main road passing in front of the district hospital witnessed traffic snarls. Visitors to the hospital had to literally hunt for parking space outside the hospital building since vehicles of visitors were not allowed inside. These are the issues that need to be streamlined and regulated on top priority,” he said.
A visitor to the hospital remarked that the government seemed to have not taken into account the traffic and road safety issues around the district hospital building while shifting Hospicio to the district hospital.
