MARGAO
Will the powers that be and the authorities wake up to the grim reality staring at and around the Comba railway crossing “ where traffic snarls have come to haunt the students, parents and the teaching staff since the educational schools reopened again around a fortnight ago?
Students and parents have a fervent plea to make to the politicos, police, the railways and district authorities “ please descend at the Comba railway crossing during the morning school hours between 7 am to 8.30 am and after school hours from 12.30 pm to 2 pm to see for themselves the traffic chaos and snarls not just at the railway crossing and the adjoining subway, but all along the Comba ring road, between the subway-old market stretch and the railway crossing-ICICC bank stretch.
As cops struggle to regulate the traffic around the railway crossing area, which plays host to the city’s education hub, the stakeholders have another plea to the politicians and authorities “ why don’t they explore the possibility of building a flyover near the railway crossing as a long-term solution to overcome the traffic chaos?
A ride down the Comba ring road at 1 pm on Wednesday showed that the stretch of the road from the Pedda footbridge to the railway crossing was choked with vehicles. The situation only worsened as one came close to the Comba railway crossing, with a lone traffic cop struggling to restore a semblance of order.
Another traffic cop was on his toes, trying to clear the bumper-to-bumper traffic near the adjoining subway. As motorists jostled for space to make it to the other side of the railway crossing, the traffic cop told The Goan that this has been a routine affair for want of a permanent solution.
President of Margao Hindu Mathagramasht Sabha running the Damodar school and higher secondary science school said that time has come for the authorities to give serious thought to the construction of a flyover to tide over the traffic chaos.
“I feel a flyover offers a permanent solution to the problem. But, it would take years even if the government agrees to build a flyover. What is needed for the moment is traffic regulation,” he said.
Says Director of Physical Training, Kare College of Law, Manoj Hede, “Deployment of additional personnel on both sides of the railway crossing and the subway can help regulate the traffic flow during the peak school hours in the morning and afternoon.”
He added: “I think it is high time that the government and the authorities plan a flyover so that it takes care of the increasing traffic in Comba and the ring roads.”
Parents too have called for both short-term and long-term solutions to the traffic chaos at Comba, more so when tourists coming from the coastal belt take the Comba ring road to proceed to the North Goa.
“When a group of parents tried to find out about the status of the much-talked-about flyover, we were shocked to hear that there’s no flyover proposal pending with the authorities. The government should plan a flyover at the place now so that people get the much-needed relief at least five years down the line,” remarked a parent.
Another parent Dixon Vaz, hailing from Cavelossim, suggested that the police authorities deploy the personnel at and around the railway crossing during peak school hours.
“When I start my journey from Cavelossim, I come across traffic personnel at least at three places along the Cavelossim-Margao stretch. They can very well deploy them at the crossing during peak hours,” he said.
He added: “If the situation is going from bad to worse at the Comba railway crossing now, just imagine a situation when the frequency of passenger and freight trains increases after the double-tracking project.”
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Dharmesh Angle conceded the traffic situation at Comba needs a detailed study to overcome the issues.
“We will have to sit and study whether traffic regulation daily is an answer or a flyover is a long-term solution to the issue,” DySP Angle added.
Will take demand for flyover at
Comba with Centre: Sardinha
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha has said he will take up with the Centre, including the railways, the construction of a flyover at the Comba railway crossing to ease congestion.
When a scribe drew his attention that the Centre should take up the work of the flyover at the Comba crossing since they need not lay the double track along the Margao-Majorda stretch since the KRC double line already exists, Sardinha said he would raise the issue with the railway authorities in Delhi.
“The flyover is a dire necessity at the Comba railway crossing when the frequency of trains running on the existing KR track is expected to increase in the coming days. I will raise the issue in Parliament and also take up the matter with the railways,” he added.
