LPG tankers heading to Ponda continue to ply on narrow village roads, choking traffic at the turn near Navelim church junction
A heavy duty LPG gas tanker, after entering Navelim, negotiating the sharp turn near the Navelim Church despite the fact that the western bypass has been thrown open for traffic.
MARGAO
When Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the Margao western bypass with much fanfare late December ahead of the Christmas festive season, Navelkars believed that the village will get the much needed relief from the national highway heavy traffic passing through the village.
No doubt, there may be perceptible reduction in the amount of heavy highway traffic entering Navelim post-Margao western bypass inauguration. Heavy traffic, including LPG tankers, specially vehicles heading to Ponda and further northwards, however, continue to ply on the narrow village roads, choking traffic at the turn near the Navelim church junction.
The heavy traffic, sources pointed out ply through Navelim village to take the Eastern bypass at Rawanfond before leaving for Ponda and destinations northwards. This assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of reports that the government was scheduled to come out with a Notification mandating all highway traffic to take the Western bypass at the Belem-Navelim junction and to proceed to Ponda via the Verna-Loutolim Missing link.
So far, however, such a notification is not in place as a result of which heavy traffic heading to Ponda from South Goa continues to use the Navelim road to take the Eastern bypass at Rawanfond. “Directing all Highway traffic coming from South Goa to take the western bypass at the Belem-Navelim junction to proceed to Panjim or Ponda is an ideal solution, which will bypass not just Margao, but will give relief to Navelim village as well as the traffic junctions from Rawanfond junction to Arlem junction”, sources informed.
When The Goan called up a senior PWD, NH official to shed light on the heavy traffic continuing to ply through Navelim village despite the inauguration of the western bypass, the official said he would check with officials on the ground reality.
A senior traffic police officer told The Goan that erections of traffic sign boards at the entrance to the bypass at Belem-Navelim junction will go a long way in diverting all incoming traffic from down South to the bypass.
As far as the proposal to divert Ponda bound heavy traffic is concerned via the Verna-Loutolim missing link road, the traffic official said a notification in this respect will have to be issued by the district authorities mandating heavy vehicles from mandatorily taking the western bypass to head to Panaji or Ponda.
