MARGAO
Welcome to the Benaulim side of the Khareband bridge where a wild plant and stones regulate traffic to Salcete coastal belt from Cavelossim to Benaulim. That confusion and chaos marks the traffic situation as one crosses the Khareband bridge to head to the coastal belt has not spurred the authorities to intervene and design an island or install traffic channelisers to regulate the traffic.
What's significant to note is that the Khareband bridge was thrown open for vehicular traffic over a decad
e ago now, but the traffic island is yet to take shape till date.
Inquiries by The Goan has revealed that the Benaulim panchayat had in the past taken up the issue with the traffic police authorities to design an island at the spot, but in vain.
When The Goan called up the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar to shed light on the failure of the traffic police to install a traffic island after the Khareband bridge, he said the traffic police had indeed recommended a traffic island, but the issue has remained on the backburner over the years.
"May be, around 2-3 years back, a proposal was forwarded to the PWD to design a traffic island on the Benaulim side of the Khareband bridge as the heavy traffic movement poses danger to the motorists," DySP Shirwaikar said.
He conceded that the PWD should either build a traffic island or go in for traffic channelisers to regulate the flow of traffic. "The traffic department had mooted the proposal when Royla Fernandes was the Sarpanch of Benaulim village. I have no idea why the PWD have still not responded to the proposal," he added.
DySP Shirwaikar said there's adequate land around to set up the traffic island, adding ‘that traffic channelisers may be put in place if a traffic island is not feasible'.
Questions are being asked why the PWD has failed to take up the work of traffic island at the spot and whether the traffic police had done any follow up with the PWD since then.
Motorists from the coastal belt, on the other hand, say that while teams of traffic police personnel are deployed on the Benaulim side of the bridge, they complained that the traffic cops do not help in regulating traffic. "We have never come across the traffic police personnel lending their helping hand to regulate the traffic flow. Instead, they appear more content in challaning the violators," remarked a two-wheeler rider.
Inquiries by The Goan has revealed that the Benaulim panchayat had in the past taken up the issue with the traffic police authorities to design an island at the spot, but in vain.
When The Goan called up the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar to shed light on the failure of the traffic police to install a traffic island after the Khareband bridge, he said the traffic police had indeed recommended a traffic island, but the issue has remained on the backburner over the years.
"May be, around 2-3 years back, a proposal was forwarded to the PWD to design a traffic island on the Benaulim side of the Khareband bridge as the heavy traffic movement poses danger to the motorists," DySP Shirwaikar said.
He conceded that the PWD should either build a traffic island or go in for traffic channelisers to regulate the flow of traffic. "The traffic department had mooted the proposal when Royla Fernandes was the Sarpanch of Benaulim village. I have no idea why the PWD have still not responded to the proposal," he added.
DySP Shirwaikar said there's adequate land around to set up the traffic island, adding ‘that traffic channelisers may be put in place if a traffic island is not feasible'.
Questions are being asked why the PWD has failed to take up the work of traffic island at the spot and whether the traffic police had done any follow up with the PWD since then.
Motorists from the coastal belt, on the other hand, say that while teams of traffic police personnel are deployed on the Benaulim side of the bridge, they complained that the traffic cops do not help in regulating traffic. "We have never come across the traffic police personnel lending their helping hand to regulate the traffic flow. Instead, they appear more content in challaning the violators," remarked a two-wheeler rider.
