Truck terminus, a need of the hour at Ponda

PONDA: Since past many years numerous trucks are parked on national highway roads at Farmagudi-Dhavlim, Bethora-Borim and Curti-Kerya but recently the locals of Kerya had launched an agitation against the roadside truck parking as these areas are becoming accident prone zones. 

They have even given deadline to clear the trucks from the highways. Following this, trucks coming from outside the State are facing inconvenience as where to park their trucks in absence of truck terminus.

The locals from Curti-Kerya had recently warned the truck drivers not to park their vehicles at four-lane widened road of national highway at Kerya which has become an accident prone zone due to parking of trucks. 

They have even met Traffic Police officials at Farmagudi and demanded to clear the truck parking on the highway at Curti–Kerya so that locals can proceed through this road safely without any obstruction.  

After the warning by locals, the truck drivers are struggling to find an alternative parking place for them. The Traffic Police had suggested them to park their vehicles in the existing private parking place but according to the truckers the place is good for truck terminus.

Since past many years, the Curti-Kerya, Dhavlim-Farmagudi and Bethora-Borim roads were used by the truckers for parking. But now after four-laning of Kerya and Farmagudi-Dhavlim roads it has become dangerous to park these vehicles on the road as they are inviting accidents.  Since past around three to four years, the government had undertaken the four-laning of national highway at Ponda, but at the same time it failed to create a truck terminus.

According to Ponda Goods Transport Association President Nagraj Naidu since past 15 years they are demanding truck terminus in Ponda because of many transport offices. The truckers are parking their truck by the side of the road and in a private property at Curti-Kerya. “They are paying fees for parking trucks in private property. But we do not have a permanent truck terminus which is the need of the hour.” 

“The truck drivers coming with raw materials for Goan industries are also facing hardships due to lack of washrooms and other facilities and many are depending on nullah water for bathing.”  

“Once the trucks come with the raw materials or finished goods to Goa, the drivers stay here until they get a return trip. As they don’t have a parking space in the absence of truck terminus, many a time they end up parking the trucks on the roadside.”