Team Herald
PONDA: Two women were injured in an accident on Saturday at Farmagudi while travelling towards Ponda on a scooter at a road-widening worksite for the Farmagudi four-lane highway.
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The incident occurred due to confusion caused by machinery movement at the site. According to locals, the scooterist panicked when a piece of heavy machinery, presumed to be a JCB, reversed on the highway. Believing it might hit her scooter, she abruptly applied the brakes, causing her and the pillion rider to fall onto the roadside.
Social worker Premanand Gaude pointed out that road widening along the Ponda-Farmagudi highway is in progress on both sides, resulting in a narrowed pathway for vehicles. Gaude added, “Farmagudi is an education hub, with thousands of students commuting during rush hours in the morning. The narrowed roads and ongoing work demand immediate safety measures like red flags and sufficient cautionary signboards.”
Locals emphasised the urgent need for improved safety measures at the site, including visible work-in-progress signboards and red flags to alert commuters about the dug-up areas and ongoing construction. With Farmagudi being a high-traffic area, and the road’s slope adding to its risks, these precautions are deemed essential.
As the road-widening work involves significant excavation for the construction of a retaining wall, residents believe enhanced warnings could prevent future accidents and ensure the safety of road users.
