PONDA: Despite the opposition from locals and Bandora Panchayat over the safety measures, the National Highways Authority of India will be opening the four-lane Curti-Ponda bypass road on Panjim-Ponda Belgaum National Highway, on Sunday.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant will open the bypass in the presence of PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar and local MLAs, at 4.30 pm.
This would help passing of traffic on National Highway smoothly and speedily. However, as the locals are not provided an underpass at the junction, they will have to travel two kms extra distance and take a roundabout at GVM Circle to reach the Kadamba Bus Stand. To avoid this extra distance, some private and Kadamba buses are illegally and dangerously taking an U-Turn at Safa Masjid Junction ignoring the U-Turn signboard installed clearly prohibiting it and thus putting the life of the passengers into risk.
With no provision of underpass for crossing the Safa Masjid junction to reach towards KTC bus stand and Chirputem, the locals and Bandora Panchayat earlier had opposed the opening of this bypass and had appealed to the government to postpone it till some safety measures are taken up at the junction.
The junction is used by the locals and passenger buses from old bus stand to proceed towards Kadamaba bus stand and Chirputem locality. However, the NHAI has gone ahead with its plan to open the bypass and close the Safa Masjid junction to avoid the interception of the local and highway traffic.
When Herald reporter visited Safa Masjid junction on Saturday in the afternoon, it was noticed not only private but also Kadamba buses were found violating the rules and dangerously taking a U-Turn to proceed towards KTC bus stand despite the U-Turn signboard installed at the junction prohibition it. The local vehicles and bikes are also dangerously taking the U-Turn, which may cause head-on collision.
One local Namdev Naik suggested that if the underpass cannot be constructed at Safa Masjid junction as it is a heritage site then the same could be constructed 200 metres away at Bandora junction. Further, if NHAI opens this road without the underpass, it should install signals and also depute 24 hours traffic police to prevent traffic violations, which could invite fatal accidents.
