Barely 24 hours after it opened to traffic, the Porvorim elevated corridor witnessed its first fatal accident, leaving two people dead and two others injured. The three-vehicle collision, involving a two-wheeler, a car and a truck, occurred near the entry-exit point of the newly opened corridor. The tragedy raises serious questions about road engineering, traffic management and the design of the junction where vehicles enter and leave the elevated corridor. Junctions where service roads merge with high-speed highways can become accident hot spots if merging lanes, visibility, signage, speed-control and lane discipline are not adequately planned. While a blanket ban on two-wheelers may appear attractive from a safety perspective, such a decision should be based on availability of a safe alternative route. The Atal Setu experience, where two-wheelers are prohibited, provides a precedent for considering vehicle restrictions on Porvorim elevated corridor. If a similar restriction is found necessary at Porvorim, authorities must simultaneously identify and clearly designate an alternative route for two-wheelers. The Porvorim accident should serve as a warning and an opportunity to correct potential design and traffic-management shortcomings before more lives are lost.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
