Team Herald
VASCO: Following two separate accidents at Morod junction on Wednesday resulting in the death of a man and a woman, Verna villagers have decided to hold a protest at the accident prone Morad junction on Thursday morning, demanding re-erection of speed breakers there.
According to aggrieved villagers, the Morod junction on Verna bypass on NH-17 has literally become a death trap with accidents taking place at regular intervals. They said that, during 2016 BRICS summit held in Goa, the State government had removed speed breakers (on both sides) at Morod junction, but despite repeated requests to reinstall the speed breakers, authorities have been turning nelson’s eye and to put pressure on the authorities, they have decided to hold a protest at Morod junction at 8 am on Thursday.
“We have been complaining that we need speed breakers on both the sides of Morod junction to prevent accidents, but no one heard our plea and today two lives were lost at this deadly junction. Even for crossing this junction, the villagers have been facing severe hardships as speeding vehicles do not slow down. There are four villages located in the vicinity of Morod junction and it takes at least 15 minutes for one person to cross the junction. So we demand that the state government should immediately provide us some relief by erecting speed breakers at this junction on war footing,” said Joyce Pereira, a local villager from Verna.
Similar concerns were raised by other villagers, some of them even suggested that the state government should look at possibilities to provide flyovers at these junctions on Verna bypass road.
to avoid accidents.
“Like today’s incident, accidents at this junction have become a routine affair and thus we feel that the way chief minister has taken positive steps in bringing traffic discipline across state, he should also ensure that speed breakers should be put wherever it is important and specially at Morod junction,” said Jerry Mendes, resident of Verna who also claimed that white rumble strips have actually increased the number of accidents as vehicles don’t slow down.
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Corlim major fatal accident was due to human error: Traffic Dept
PANJIM: The Traffic department ongoing review into the major fatal accident on the Corlim-Old Goa highway has prima facie found it was human error, and the crash was not due to any road engineering or vehicle failure. However, a final report will reveal what exactly led to the horrific mishap as it would include inspection of the accident spot and vehicles involved in the accident besides other details. “Prima facie, the accident is a result of human error but our analysis is underway. If any corrective measures are required by any agency concerned like PWD, we will make a suggestion in the final report. Our aim is to prevent accidents on the Goan roads,” SP Devesh Mahala said.
The accident on Monday evening claimed lives of five persons including two pedestrians while three others – admitted to Goa medical college continue to remain critical. The officer claimed there is no shortage of funds for enforcement of road safety measures and purchases of required equipments. At an emergency meeting to review the traffic scenario in the State, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar assured to put in place all the necessary requirements for proper traffic management.
“Whether or not Goa gets Central funds, the government will ensure that everything required to make roads safer and inculcate traffic discipline among commuters, is efficiently carried out,” a Secretariat official, who also attended the meeting on Tuesday, said.
Parrikar, who also confirmed that the accident on the Corlim-Old Goa highway was prima facie due to car driver’s negligence, has stated that traffic department will be provided with all the requirements put up in the proposal before the government. The State is going through the most unfortunate situation with five fatal accidents reported in four days, claiming lives of atleast 10 people. On Wednesday alone, the State witnessed three accidents of which two at Verna bypass were fatal.
The traffic police have identified 37 accident prone zones based on Central government’s criteria that states five fatal or grievous accidents or 10 deaths within 500 mtrs of a highway, in three years is classified as a black spot.
After any accident, DySP Dharmesh Angle said, the traffic police conduct survey to get the exact cause of the collision following which corrective measures are suggested to the PWD, Transport Department or any related agency. “We submit short term measures as an immediate preventive measures, after every accident and long term measures to the government. In addition to this, we once again submit our recommendations/suggestions to the PWD to prevent accidents,” he said adding that most of the suggestions are complied with.
The short and long term corrective measures at major accident spots include smoothening of the road surface, illumination, signanges, dividers, speed breakers, hump, road painting, etc.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Police have strengthened its ongoing drive against the violators. Separate teams have been formed to man different road stretches and to book the traffic violators specially those involved in rash and negligent and drunken driving.
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CM urges parents not to allow children use high-powered bikes
PANJIM: In view of rising accidents in the State with youngsters more susceptible to dangerous behaviour on road, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has advised parents to refrain their children from using high-powered bikes. “Parents too need to be given education that they do not allow their college going children to use high-capacity bikes. If they do, then they should monitor that their children are responsible rider/driver. One of the major problems is caused by students,” he told a press briefing emphasizing that the motorists/drivers should follow road discipline. Interestingly, 40 percent of medical students at Goa medical college use cars, he said. When asked about the Corlim accident, he said based on traffic police report it was a slight rash and negligent driving as the vehicle was about to hit a two-wheeler it hit the pedestrian and the oncoming truck.
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12 lakh vehicles
on Goan roads!
PANJIM: In another startling revelation shocking the government itself, as many as 12.19 lakh vehicles are on road as against 4-lakh odd households. Chief Minister Parrikar said that the government had already launched a scheme in a bid to reduce vehicles on the roads by introducing the bus passes.
