PORVORIM: The residents of Defence Colony and Torda are agitated over non-removal of the barricades at O'Coqueiro junction in Porvorim for the vehicular traffic to connect B B Borkar road and Chogm road.
It may be recalled that in the meeting convened in the office of District Magistrate, North Goa, on October 30, 2015, the District Magistrate had directed Deputy Traffic (North) DGP Angle to open the road at O'Coqueiro for the movement of traffic from B B Borkar road to Chogm road on trial basis for 15 days.
In the meeting, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte had suggested that the issue of residential areas and Defence Colony can be resolved if traffic police implement the proposal of opening the road at O'Coqueiro circle on trial basis for 15 days so that traffic police can monitor the functioning of the arrangement and make necessary changes as required.
The District Magistrate took forward Khaunte's suggestion and urged Angle to implement the proposal on trial basis as interim solution.
After detailed discussion on the issue, it was unanimously decided to implement the proposal of opening up traffic at O'Coqueiro junction which will be managed by traffic police during working hours from 7 am to 9 pm and with traffic signal in the remaining hours on trial basis for 15 days from November 5 till November 20, 2015, and during the trial period, the traffic police shall strictly monitor the movement of traffic at all the junctions.
However, till date the traffic police have not implemented the direction given by the District Magistrate North Goa, due to which the residents of Torda and Defence Colony continue to face hardships.
Brig N H Braganza (Retd) said since the barricades have been laid at O'Coqueiro junction to prevent the movement of traffic from B B Borkar road to Chogm road, all vehicular traffic passes through the narrow road of Defence Colony to proceed towards Chogm road and Mapusa.
"This road has become the parallel national highway. Further, digging of this road for laying sewerage line has compounded the woes of the residents of Defence Colony."
When contacted, DySP Traffic Angle said prior to the meeting, traffic police had tried to open the road at O'Coqueiro junction for vehicular traffic to proceed to Mapusa and Saligao, but it was realised that the traffic at Holy Family Church signal gets blocked and it was not feasible.
"It was for this reason traffic police did not implement the proposal of opening traffic at O'Coqueiro junction to connect to B B Borkar road to Chogm road as discussed in the meeting," clarified Angle.
