People in Curti, Ponda may have welcomed the highway widening work in Ponda which is needed due to the increasing traffic but have appealed to the authorities to ensure proper facilities, pollution control, better service roads and that traffic police are deployed.
According to former Curti Sarpanch Husein Mulla, traffic police have not been deployed on the road where highway widening work is underway. Further speeding traffic on the highway is putting at risk the life of locals. “The government should not inconvenience us while doing this work,” Mulla said.
According to locals due to the highway widening work at many places the road has been diverted but there should be sufficient number of diversion boards displayed for the smooth flow of traffic. In the absence of the boards vehicle drivers are unaware as to which road needs to be taken. Locals also complained that at many places the diversion boards are kept on the ground which makes it difficult for the driver to see. Proper sign board should be erected to facilitate transit of vehicles, they said.
The construction of a parallel bridge in Khandepar, its approach roads and widening of seven kilometre bypass road from the bridge up to Curti, Ponda, besides widening of the Davlim-Farmagudi road into four lane are underway in Ponda for the past year resulting in a nightmarish experience for local riders as work is going on without proper planning. Motorists at junctions face much inconvenience leading to accidents. Further, locals complain that this work will take another two years to complete.
Mulla said there should be better service roads and diversion boards should be installed properly. “At many places there are no diversion boards. Traffic Police as well company officials should coordinate with each other to avoid hardship to the locals,” Mulla added.
