MAPUSA
Five days after a fatal crash at the exit of the Porvorim Elevated Corridor, and amid criticism over his silence, Tourism Minister and local MLA Rohan Khaunte on Thursday finally spoke out on the restrictions imposed on the project.
Khaunte said he was not consulted before PWD Minister Digambar Kamat and PWD officials decided to restrict the use of the corridor following the accident that claimed two lives.
He said Kamat had since spoken to him and that the PWD Minister, along with the officials concerned, was expected to meet him shortly to discuss the issue and take an appropriate decision.
Khaunte also called for an immediate review of what he described as “arbitrary restrictions”, particularly those affecting Porvorim residents.
“Shutting the corridor altogether without access to people of Porvorim was not the right way to go about it. There are solutions to the problem diagnosed at the exit and entry points. Common sense and sound engineering consultation must be used,” he said.
His comments came as the restrictions triggered frustration among motorists and residents, with access to the corridor curtailed and traffic pressure returning to roads in and around Porvorim.
Khaunte acknowledged the anger among locals, saying their grievances were “100 per cent justified” after more than three years of disruption caused by the construction of the corridor.
At the same time, he sought to put the accident in the context of road-user behaviour, saying the project alone could not be held responsible for what happened.
“We have lost two lives due to reckless driving. It isn’t just about constructing a flyover; people must maintain driving discipline,” he said.
The MLA also sought to keep the issue away from political blame games, saying local authorities, panchayats and elected representatives needed to work together to resolve the technical problems at the corridor’s entry and exit points.
“Arbitrary decisions made by individual engineers without consulting local stakeholders will not be entertained,” Khaunte said.
Khaunte’s intervention came nearly a week after the accident, which put the spotlight on the design and traffic-management arrangements at the corridor’s exit. The subsequent restrictions, including the ban on two-wheelers and changes to access points, have further raised questions over whether the traffic arrangements were adequately assessed before the corridor was opened.
