PONDA: The residents of Kerya-Curti on Tuesday confronted Traffic Police Inspector Praveen Gawas for “turning a blind eye” to the parking of heavy trucks on the National Highway.
The action of the villagers follows a report published in Herald highlighting that heavy trucks are parked on the National Highway increasing the risk of road accidents.
Rocky Dias, a local, questioned PI Gawas whether he was aware that heavy trucks are parked on the National Highway. Dias demanded to know if PI Gawas was aware of the same, why he failed to stop the dangerous parking.
Reminding PI Gawas that many accidents have taken place on the highway at Kerya resulting in the deaths of six persons, the locals demanded to know why he was negligent in stopping parking of heavy trucks on the highway.
The villagers warned that they would not tolerate dangerous truck parking on the four-lane highway and risk the lives of their dear ones.
After giving the villagers a patient hearing, PI Gawas assured to take action on the dangerous truck parking on the four-lane highway. “The truck parking will be cleared within a week,” he assured.
Ponda Goods and Transport Association President Nagraj Naidu agreed that truckers park their vehicles illegally on the highway and that they would clear it by next Saturday as discussed with Traffic PI Gawas.
He said that since past many years Ponda has remained a main transport hub but there has been no truck terminus.
He informed that many trucks brining in goods from other States wait here till they are hired for return trip to their native place; such trucks are parked on the highway. “The trucks wait for fifteen days or more and so are parked on the side of road till their truck is hired by some transport company,” he said.
