VASCO: Soon, heavy vehicles will not be allowed to enter Vasco town from 7 am to 10 pm, as per an order issued by the South Goa District Magistrate.
Making the announcement to media persons on Saturday, Vasco MLA Krishna ‘Daji’ Salkar said that it was a long pending demand of the citizens to ban the entry and movement of heavy vehicles through the town during busy hours, with the exception of public transport vehicles like buses. The order will be fully implemented within the next few days as transporters will be given time to inform their drivers about the order. In addition,the PWD and the Mormugao Municipal Council will have to install boards at all the junctions notifying the ban on entry of heavy vehicles into Vasco town.
Salkar said that movement of heavy vehicles through the Port town was causing dust pollution and also causing road accidents. “It was unfortunate that we had to live in fear all these years as these heavy vehicles moved in and out of the town, and into the Mormugao port,” he said, adding that the people of Vasco will finally have some relief. Salkar pointed out that heavy vehicles had recently been instructed to use the port connectivity flyover except for times when cruise ships arrive at the port. “Hundreds of trucks connected to the port have agreements and credit facilities with petrol pumps located in Vasco town, and this is one of the reasons these vehicles enter Vasco,” he explained. He said that though there was a suggestion to allow only empty trucks to enter the town for filling fuel, they are equally dangerous when they move through the narrow streets during peak hours or school hours. “Their agreements with petrol pumps will have to be stopped, and alternate arrangements made,” said the MLA.
The Vasco MLA disclosed that talks are on with an industrialist to install CCTV cameras at various points in Vasco constituency to monitor the movement of heavy vehicles and other traffic violations.
According to Salkar, getting the order was not easy as transportation is essential to the Mormugao port. Secondly, work on the port connectivity flyover connecting to the MPA’s gate no 9 is still pending, he added. He said that he will appeal to the government to expedite the work on the flyover and complete it within the next six months so that the movement of trailers and containers through the town is permanently stopped.
