PANAJI
As road mishaps continue to take lives without any respite, utter negligence on the part of the Public Works Department (PWD) to fix the spots prone to accidents is also attributed to collisions.
The 32-year-old contract labourer’s death at Manaswada in Kundaim is the latest case pointing fingers at the government authorities’ laxity.
Sources said the entire stretch has witnessed around five accidents in the recent past while proposals to ‘repair’ the damaged crash barrier has fallen on deaf ears.
“Several letters are pending with the PWD without action. The crash barrier at this road curve was damaged in one of the accidents lately, despite which neither it has been repaired nor new ones installed,” a senior traffic officer lamented while speaking to The Goan.
As per the Indian Road Congress (IRC) Guidelines, a damaged crash barrier ought to be repaired within three days. “The road witnessed another accident, just a couple of meters from where the fatal accident occurred on Wednesday. Fortunately, none were injured in that crash,” he said.
A fish-laden container truck crashed through roadside kiosks, injuring nearly half a dozen persons of whom Sukesh Basak, a native of West Bengal succumbed to serious injuries the same evening. “Despite repeated accidents, the authorities are turning a blind eye,” the officer alleged, adding that various other accident-prone spots are sans crash barriers.
It's no surprise that one constant feature of the current year is the upward trend in road crashes and casualties, caused mostly by reckless driving, inadequate traffic systems and poor road engineering.
In another tragic accident at Bicholim, a couple died and their year-old child miraculously survived.
On the same night, a self-accident on Atal Setu Bridge injured two persons. Traffic officials stated that yet another proposal to increase the height of the divider is shuttling between PWD and Goa State Industrial Development Corporation. “None of the two agencies want to take it up. The PWD claims that GSIDC did not hand over the maintenance/work because of which its engineers cannot take corrective measures; whereas the GSIDC has still not woken up,” the official alleged.
The Goan spoke to a PWD (road) engineer seeking answers to allegations, to which he cited delay in approvals. “Files are pending because there are no approvals including financial nod. A whole process is to be carried out without which, no further step can be taken up,” he said.
In another act of alleged negligence, four accidents have occurred near Rajiv Kala Mandir.
PROPOSALS PENDING
A senior traffic officer claimed that “not even 20 per cent” of their proposals for rectifying accident-prone zones are heeded. One of them is installing a cement crash barrier near the left lane of the Zuari Bridge. “The motorists remove the temporary barricades,” he alleged.
Unpainted road humps, absence of cat-eyes, non-rectification of dangerous curve roads, fluorescent paint of side roads, etc are among various corrective measures suggested in the proposals pending currently.
CASE BOOKED OUT
OF SYMPATHY?
The Goa Police are allegedly either deep diving into a sea of emotions or abusing their powers. In the fatal accident at Bicholim, the cops booked an offense against the truck driver “out of sympathy” towards the victims.
Sources said the fatal accident near Supachi Pud was a result of suspected negligence by the victim rider, who lost control while trying to overtake the truck. “The scooter came under the rear wheels of the truck killing the couple,” the officer said.
It is learnt that the local police have booked the driver for rash and negligent driving as they don’t want to be dragged into any controversy. “However, instead of acting responsibly, the police were carried out by emotions,” another senior officer said. The Bicholim police, on the other hand, said the investigation is underway.
INFLUENCING
ENFORCEMENT?
The field officers are allegedly dealing with calls from ‘powerful’ people to mellow down the enforcement as the fines for traffic violations are hefty.
