MARGAO
The death of a two-wheeler rider at the Road Underpass of the Western bypass at Nagmodem-Navelim triggered uproar on Saturday morning, with citizens pointing accusing fingers at the PWD for completing the bypass project without implementing safety measures for motorists using the road underpass and the service roads.
In fact, agitated local residents of Navelim, Nagmodem and Sinquetim claimed that at least 50 accidents must have taken place at the Nagmodem underpass and the adjoining service roads since the commissioning of the Navelim stretch of the western bypass over a year ago.
They hoped the death of a two-wheeler in Saturday’s road accident right at the underpass will open the eyes of the PWD officials as well as the Traffic and district authorities to implement road and traffic safety measures at the underpass. “How many more accidents do the government want to implement road and traffic safety measures at the Nagmodem underpass”, thundered George Barretto.
Talking to the media at the site after the fatal accident, George said the residents had been knocking the doors of the PWD and other authorities with a plea to install speed breakers or speed regulator at the underpass and the adjoining service roads of the western bypass, but in vain. “Motorists travel with great speed on the Nagmodem-Navelim, causing many a road accident near the underpass. One way to regulate the speed of vehicles is to erect speed breakers or rumbler sticks, but the PWD has failed to implement the measures”, he said.
Another resident Peter Rodrigues said the only way to control the speed of vehicles at the underpass is to erect speed breakers or rumbler sticks. “We have seen so many accidents at the underpass since the time it was commissioned. And, the main reason behind the accident is the absence of speed breakers to regulate the speed of vehicles”, he added.
Another local resident Manu Vaz claimed that road accidents take place at the underpass every alternate day, but the PWD and other government officials have failed to act to control the accidents. “We have recently brought an official to inspect the road, but he said speed breakers cannot be erected on the road. A time will come when people will have to implement the speed breakers if the government does not assess the gravity of the situation in the absence of speed regulation”, Manu added.
DySP, Traffic Cell, Rajendra Prabhudesai said accidents have been taking place at the underpasses and on the service roads on the western bypass in the absence of speed control mechanism in place. “The PWD need to implement measures at all the underpasses and services roads on the western bypass. We will move the PWD to take suitable measures at the underpasses”, DySP Prabhudesai added.
