Team Herald
VASCO: The Goa Traffic Police Department on Tuesday carried out a surprise drive at the new Zuari bridge and issued challans to a large number of motorists for using the lane reserved only for heavy vehicles, while proceeding from Agassaim to Margao.
The traffic police did not even spare a police jeep attached to the ATS which too had entered the wrong lane unaware of the exercise started by the SP (Traffic) Bossuet Silva. The Traffic police fined violators Rs 500 for violating the traffic rules.
Referring to imposing fine on the ATS police jeep, SP Silva said that law is applicable for everyone and that there should be no favouritism.
Silva along with Vasco Traffic Cell PI Shailesh Narvekar and staff were seen stopping motorists and explaining to them that the one of the four lanes of the new bridge was meant only for the use of heavy vehicles while, the light vehicles and two-wheelers proceeding from Agacaim to Verna or Margao should mandatorily use the old Zuari bridge which has been made one-way since the new bridge was thrown open for vehicular traffic in January this year..
As many as 144 vehicles including two-wheelers were issued challans while, 130 vehicle operators were issued notices as they were in a hurry to reach their workplace. The traffic police collected Rs 72,000 as fines from violators and would collect another Rs 65,000 in fines from those, who were issued notices.
SP Silva said that motorists using wrong lane could have turned into a tragedy as one of the motorists narrowly missed hitting a constable deployed at the Agasaim end on the new Zuari bridge, when the constable tried to stop the vehicle from entering the wrong lane of the bridge.
SP Silva said, “I can’t risk the lives of my constables and so I decided to personally come on the new Zuari bridge and challan the violators. There are signages and there is also a notification that one-lane of the new bridge is opened only for heavy vehicles and there is no excuse for vehicles using this lane.”
He appealed to the motorists to strictly follow signages and not to take the law for granted and break the rules.
