The road dividers were meant to regulate traffic along the highway near the Dabolim airport; however, recent moves to break the road divider and create an unauthorised U-turn at Shanti Nagar, Vasco, has seriously jeopardised road safety in the area.
While locals have criticised the sudden opening of the road divider, the Police Traffic Cell has now issued notices to authorities to close the recently opened road divider at the earliest to avoid mishaps in the area.
Speaking to Herald, many locals claimed that authorities had attempted a shortcut by clandestinely opening a portion of the road divider to provide easy access from the new airport terminal to the Shanti Nagar junction.
“This U-turn is a serious threat to unsuspecting motorists as there are no signboards to caution motorists of this U-turn and it also creates unnecessary traffic congestion,” said a resident. .
“Moreover, the opening is rather meaningless as the main Dabolim airport junction and the notified Shanti Nagar U-turn at the other end are barely 500 metres away,” the resident added.
The police have been quick to admit that the unauthorised U-turn could pose a threat to traffic discipline.
“The dividers were opened by the PWD to facilitate better access for vehicles plying from the airport, but this is now posing a real danger,” said Dabolim PI Navlesh Dessai. “The breached dividers have been posing a threat to motorists as it cuts down the motion of the ongoing vehicles. We now have asked the authorities concerned to reconstruct the dividers which have been illegally opened by the PWD,” added PI Dessai.
“We have also asked the airport authority to have a separate lane up to the Shanti Nagar junction to avoid traffic congestion and accidents,” he said.
When contacted, C O P Furtado, technical manager of four-lane highways, pointed fingers at the GSIDC.
“The road dividers at Shanti Nagar had been opened by the GSIDC, but they are presently blocked,” said Furtado.
But when it was brought to his notice that the unauthorised opening still exists, Furtado assured to look into the matter.
According to sources in the Vasco Traffic Cell, PI Sudesh Narvekar had received an oral complaint from the locals of Shanti Nagar regarding the opened road-dividers at Shanti Nagar.
“The PI has sent a letter to authorities concerned stating that all unauthorised openings from Shanti Nagar to Vales garage at Dabolim should be blocked or reconstructed to avoid major accidents and other mishaps along the route,” said the source.
“The PI has also drafted a letter to officials of the four-lane highway to close the recent opening created by the PWD at Shanti Nagar as it poses a major threat to the vehicles,” the source added.
