MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: In the fourth fatal accident here in just three days, a collision between a car and a bike took place on the Bethora-Borim Bypass road around 6.30 pm on Saturday evening. The bike rider, a resident of Vasco, was severely injured and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The pillion rider, Akeeb Makbul Muzavar, 20, also from Vasco, was critically injured and has been shifted to Goa Medical College (GMC) for treatment. The identity of the deceased bike rider has yet to be confirmed by the police.
According to initial reports, the car was traveling from Margao towards Khandepar, while the bike, carrying the rider and pillion, was headed from Khandepar towards Vasco. The collision occurred at Bethora due to ongoing four-lane road construction, which has temporarily diverted traffic onto a single lane. This diversion resulted in the car and bike traveling in opposite directions on the same side of the road, leading to the fatal collision.
Locals are criticising the contractor for not putting up adequate road works diversion signboards, which they believe contributed to the accident. This concern over safety on this stretch is not new. A few months ago, a youth traveling from Bethora to Usgao was electrocuted after coming into contact with a high-tension line that had been brought dangerously close to the road level due to landfilling for the four-lane work. At that time, locals blamed the contractor and demanded action against him.
This latest incident is part of a worrying trend. On May 23, a resident of Borim died in a collision between his bike and a tanker at Borim. On May 24, a 19-year-old bike rider died on the Curti flyover after losing control and crashing into a road divider and an electric pole. On the same day, a tanker occupant was killed when the tanker overturned in Panchawadi, involving a collision with a truck and a car.
The series of accidents has left the people of Ponda in a state of grief and anxiety, with residents calling for immediate measures to improve road safety and prevent further tragedies.
