Barely 24 hours after two per sons were killed in a crash on the newly inaugurated Porvorim elevated corri dor, another accident at the same location on Sunday has intensified questions over the project’s traffic management, road engi neering and preparedness. The second mishap oc curred when a two-wheeler rider, who had mistakenly entered the flyover, braked abruptly after realising that motorcycles had been barred from using the fa cility. A car travelling be hind then collided with the two-wheeler. No injuries were reported this time. The crash came even as authorities began rework ing traffic arrangements following Saturday’s fatal accident, raising questions over whether critical safety issues were being identified only after the corridor was opened to the public. The elevated corri dor was inaugurated with much fanfare on October 11.
However within a day it became the scene of a fatal crash that claimed two lives. The government subsequent ly introduced safety measures, prompting questions over why such an operational restriction had not been factored into the traffic plan before its opening. Adv Radharao Gracias questioned whether the two-wheeler ban was temporary or permanent, and whether the difficulty had been visualised when the flyo ver was designed. The concerns were echoed by motorists who said poten tial conflict points had become apparent almost immediate ly after the opening. Margao-based entrepreneur Hansel Vaz questioned the emphasis on pre-opening celebrations, saying greater at tention should have been given to driver safety. Dhanesh Volvoikar raised concerns over the entry and exit arrangements near Majestic Hotel, pointing to avail able space for smoother movement and also flagging the Guirim-side exit towards Mapusa.
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He referred to the earlier problems at Merces junction and other trouble spots along the highway. Daniel F de Souza also described the road intersection opposite Majestic Hotel as dangerous and likely to cause confusion among motorists, while stressing the need for regular Traffic Cell patrolling on the flyover. Having driven on the flyover in both directions, local musician Sigmund de Souza said the stretch opposite Neo Majestic, where the flyover ends and meets the Atal Setu connection, appeared likely to become a dangerous spot. He questioned why trial runs had not been used to identify and correct such locations before the corridor was opened. The concerns come as authorities have begun reassess ing traffic movement between the elevated corridor, service roads and existing routes, including the Merces, Majestic and Guirim approaches. For critics, the immediate question is why these conflict points became the subject of corrective action only after the facility opened — and after a fatal crash.
Roland Martins, convenor of GOACAN, criticised PWD National Highways engineers over accountability and site safety, saying responsibility for commuter safety ultimately rested with them. “As a member of the District Road Safety Committee, I must express serious concern that no presentations or information regarding this Porvorim flyover were shared with the committee prior to its opening. Furthermore, dur ing our committee meeting on Friday morning, no notice was provided regarding the launch scheduled for later that afternoon, nor was there an opportunity for the committee and traffic police to inspect the infrastructure before public access was granted,” he said. Martins said the incidents highlighted what he described as a persistent pattern of negligence in project disclosure and site safety standards. Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai and AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik questioned whether adequate safeguards had been put in place before the corridor was opened. “I do not want to make political capital out of this tragedy. But the fact is that Goa’s roads, the day they get inaugurat ed, they begin to appear cursed. It’s some sort of a problem.
It’s a major problem,” Sardesai said. “Was the inauguration in a haste? Were safeguards taken or not taken? This is the issue, and this is what is causing deaths,” he said. Sardesai also criticised the emphasis on events sur rounding the project. “Because the government is only trying to get the atten tion of eyeballs with events. Government did an event there, danced there, and people died there the next day,” he said. “We have to see that the common man benefits from in frastructure development. The common man also drives a motorcycle,” Sardesai added. Naik questioned the government’s focus on the speed of the vehicle involved in Saturday’s crash, arguing that the design of the road itself needed scrutiny. “For the last three-four days, since the bridge has been inaugurated, it is the government itself which has been bragging that this is a bridge, a flyover for driving fast and to get from Panjim to Mapusa in 15 minutes. So why are you blaming the car for being fast? You designed the flyo ver for driving fast, correct?” he said. “The reason this accident happened is because of bad design, bad road engineering. When you have slow-moving traffic on the service road at 25 kmph and fast-moving traf fic on the flyover at 65, 70, 80 whatever kmph and you keep them at a level crossing and give them 10 metres to merge with each other, that is a recipe for disaster,” Naik said.
Referring to Sunday’s crash, Naik said, “This is obviously not to do with the speeding car. It has to do with the road engineering.” “These people took credit for making the flyover. Who’s going to take credit for this bad road engineering? Who’s going to take the responsibility for the deaths of these peo ple?” he asked. Naik alleged that the project may have been hurried be cause elections were approaching and called for scrutiny of its engineering and quality control. He also raised concerns over similar diversion and signage issues at another flyover linking Porvorim with the Atal Setu, saying legal action, in cluding a PIL, could be considered to examine highway de signs and identify lapses that may be causing deaths. The Congress, meanwhile, demanded political account ability and an independent inquiry into the planning and safety arrangements of the facility.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar demanded the resignation of PWD Minister Digambar Kamat and sought a transparent, independent and time-bound inquiry into the safety, planning and util ity of the flyover. “This is not about political point-scoring. It is about ac countability and public safety,” Chodankar said, question ing why serious operational and safety concerns had not been addressed before the flyover was opened. He also questioned the restriction imposed on two-wheelers shortly after the inauguration. “If the flyover was ready to be inaugurated with such fanfare, why were serious operational and safety concerns not addressed before opening it to the public?” he asked. Chodankar said the circumstances surrounding the deaths should be established through a proper investiga tion covering road design, traffic movement, signage, light ing, access points, speed management and overall safety. He also questioned what traffic problem the project had actually solved and whether commuters would continue to face difficulties while entering or exiting Panjim, saying infrastructure should ultimately be judged by whether it made travel safer, faster and more convenient for ordinary citizens. Congress leader Tulio D’Souza of Guirim said the loss of life had brought shortcomings in the engineering of the ap proach roads into focus. “Sad to lose a life on the new flyover. Road engineering at the entry and exit points has not been planned at all. The foresight is missing on the core issues,” D’Souza said. Calling for the focus to shift from events and selfies to safety, he added, “The time to take credit is over, let us in trospect.” Congress working president Sunil Kawthankar said de velopment was a continuous process and good infrastruc ture should be praised irrespective of which government executed it.
However, he questioned why adequate time, attention and resources were not devoted to the entry and exit points after substantial public money had been spent on the main flyover. Kawthankar also questioned the decision to hold a su percar rally on the flyover ahead of its opening, saying it could create the wrong impression among motorists and suggest that the facility was meant for speeding rather than safe and efficient movement. Instead, he said, the Chief Minister should have highlighted how the flyover could ease congestion and facilitate faster movement of ambulances and other vehicles. Meanwhile, the father of the 12-year-old girl injured in Saturday’s crash has filed a complaint with Porvorim Po lice seeking legal action and a thorough investigation. The girl suffered a serious femur fracture and under went surgery at Goa Medical College. The deceased, Amita Salgaonkar, was her neighbour. Police have registered a case of rash and negligent driv ing against 22-year-old Raunak Chari, who was driving the Baleno involved in Saturday’s crash. “Following the accident on Saturday, the Porvorim Po lice have registered a criminal case (Cr No 72/2026) un der Sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharati ya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 against the driver, Raunak Chari,” the police stated in a press release on Sunday. “All three vehicles — the Baleno car, an Activa scooter (GA-05-M-3752), and a truck (GA-07-T-0712)— were heading in the direc tion of Panjim.
The speed ing Baleno car rammed into the rear of the Activa scooter ridden by 40-year old Sarvesh Nilkanth Ven gurlekar, a resident of Satarda, Malewad (Sind hudurg, Maharashtra). Fol lowing the initial crash, the car slammed into the back of the truck, which was driven by Rajesab Badiger, a native of Gadag, Karna taka, residing in Chimbel, Tiswadi,” the police release stated. The impact killed Ven gurlekar, 40, who sus tained critical injuries and died on the spot, and Am ita Rupesh Salgaonkar, 39, of Bamon Vaddo, Siolim, who was travelling in the Baleno. PSI Arun R Shi rodkar is investigating the case.
