School children and villagers protest at the Aquem Power House junction to demand traffic signals.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
School children, senior citizens and villagers of Davorlim and surrounding villagers on Sunday demanded traffic signals at the Aquem power House junction, saying the junction has become accident prone for want of traffic regulation.
Armed with placards and banners, the citizens pointed out that they have been waging a sustained battle for proper traffic regulation at the traffic junction, but in vain. They have pointed out that the recent hot mixing of the power house junction and the adjoining roads is posing danger to the school children for want of proper regulation.
They have set 15 days deadline on the government to regulate the traffic at Power house junction by installing traffic signals.
A villager Anand Sawant said he along with the villagers have been fighting for the traffic signals at the Power house junction for the last 15 years. “Given that a number of interior roads merge at the Power house junction, the circle has turned accident prone. There are no traffic signals. Vehicles speeding along the roads is the order of the day. School children reach their schools late as there is no regulation during morning peak hours”, he said, even as he urged the authorities to install the signals within 15 days.
A senior citizen Balaji Rao said the elderly and the children cannot cross the road at the junction for want of regulation. “In view of the recent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, they have hot mixed the roads, which have resulted in over speeding at the junction”, he said, while pleading with the authorities to do something for the safety of pedestrians, including the elderly and the school children.
A College student Presley Dias pointed out how overloaded vehicles zoom past the junction, posing danger to the school students. “After the hot mixing of the junction and the roads, vehicles have been found overspeeding. At least, installation of the traffic signals will help regulate the traffic”, he said.
Another villager Edwin Viegas recalled how he was involved in an accident at the junction after his vehicle had knocked him.
