PANAJI
The Traffic Cell registered over 3,000 cases of overspeeding vehicles on the busy Atal Setu bridge. The total cases are booked on a single day on Wednesday in a special drive that will continue for the next couple of days.
The department is aiming at reducing vehicle speed on the cable-stayed Bridge that runs for a stretch of 5.1 km.
In a message to the public, Goa Police said “speed radar active on Atal Setu” while adding that 3,000 vehicles above the speed limit of 50kmph were caught on camera.
“Today a speed radar was deployed for trials on Atal Setu. Motorists should avoid indulging in overspeeding,” Director General of Police Jaspal Singh said.
It is however not known if the owners of the violating vehicles will be issued a challan given that the special drive is a trial test.
Since speed-breakers or barricades could not be set up, a senior traffic officer said that they introduced speed radar guns to control the speed of vehicles and avert accidents.
“Our aim is not only to control the speed that will avert road accidents but it will also bring discipline among the motorists to drive safely,” he added.
Over a dozen accidents have occurred on the Bridge since it was open for vehicular traffic in 2019, maximum of which is due to overspeeding, and rash and negligent driving. The street lamp posts and divider have also been heavily damaged due to these accidents.
The death of a 32-year-old police constable, Sandeep Naik as a result of a collision between his car and a tempo was believed to be the first fatal accident on the bridge. In a recent accident two car occupants were seriously injured after their car rammed into the divider.
The tourists have also been violating the rules on the Bridge by taking their rental bikes which is banned.
The department is also expected to run a similar drive across major highways.
