High Court told of open trenches, poor barricading and traffic risks; urgent safety measures suggested
PANAJI
Several road safety issues have been flagged along the National Highway works stretch at Porvorim, including open trenches, scattered debris, irregular parking and poor barricading. These concerns were placed before the Bombay High Court at Goa after a court-directed review meeting identified urgent corrective steps.
The observations come from the minutes of a meeting chaired by the Executive Engineer of the PWD’s National Highways Division VII, held with petitioner Adv Moses Pinto. The minutes have now been submitted to the High Court in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The meeting was held in line with the High Court’s order dated March 30, which directed the petitioner, contractor and highway authorities to jointly assess traffic and safety issues arising from the ongoing construction work.
The report highlighted several risky spots, including near Neo Majestic Hotel, Mall de Goa, Nova Cidade Complex, O’Coqueiro Junction and the Guirim-side approach road.
At these locations, weak barricading and construction waste were found to be creating hazards for road users.
At O’Coqueiro Junction, a trench dug for drain work was specifically noted as needing proper barricading and clear warning signs along the diversion route. Near Guirim, debris left on the service road was flagged as making conditions unsafe for two-wheelers.
The report also pointed out disorderly parking in the open area opposite Mall de Goa. It suggested that the contractor consider barricading the space to improve traffic flow.
Key suggestions submitted to the court include proper continuous barricading with reflective tape, deployment of traffic marshals, more signboards and blinkers, and traffic calming measures near Pier No. P16 on the bypass road linking to Chogm Road.
The petitioner also sought stricter traffic management near the Sapna Habitat junction, with the Traffic Cell advised to consider deploying additional staff.
