Goemkarponn desk
PONDA: The three bypass roads, namely Curti – Ponda, Bethora – Borim and Dhavlim Farmagudi, constructed by the government two decades ago to divert the NH traffic, have become accident-prone zones due to hap-hazard truck parking on both sides of roads.
The trucks are also parked dangerously on sharp turns, posing a risk of fatal accidents.
As truck parking poses risk lives of local vehicles and other traffic, the citizens have been demanding truck terminus for the past decade.
Harishchandra Naik at Daag Kapileshwarim said the roadside dangerous truck parking on both side block front views and poses a risk to the lives of commuters and locals.
The truck drivers who had parked their trucks along Dhavlim Farmagudi bypass Road said that in the absence of a truck terminus, they are facing hardship and left with no space to park vehicles on the side of the bypass road. “We face many difficulties including cooking food, absence of toilet facilities etc. Since Ponda is centrally located government should construct truck terminus so that they can stay here and transport goods to every industrial estate in Goa,” he said.
Recently, the three bypass roads have been converted into four-lane; however, the truckers use the side of this bypass for truck parking for long hours, and according to local Sandeep Parkar, they are causing one of the reasons for accidents on these roads.
He said there are no industries at Curti-Khandepar Panchayat. However, trucks are parked. Similarly, truck parking is done on Bethora and Dhavlim Farmagudi roads. Dhavlim Farmagudi is dangerous and accident-prone due to sharp turns, and further, it has become more dangerous due to parking on sharp turns.
The issue of dangerous truck parking often dominates in Kavlem Panchayat gram sabha as also in Curti Khandepar Panchayat and even in Bethora Panchayat, but so far, no solution or truck terminus has been built to solve the issue.
Since it is a need of industries, the government should look into the matter, locals feel.
The truck parked on the road often suddenly comes on the main road from their parking area and may invite major mishaps; therefore, there should be either truck terminus, or parking spaces should be provided at Industrial estates.
Sameer Naik said that due to transport offices on the bypass road, the truckers from outside Goa often wait near them for return trips of loaded material towards their native place.
“Sometimes it takes one week to get return trip and thus truck parking increases on roads. Truck parking by the side of a four-lane road dangerously obstructs and blocks the view of vehicles coming from opposite sides of the road,” he said.
The Locals have even raised the issue in Curti- Khandepar gram sabha demanding with traffic department to clear the truck parking at Curti.
As there is no action coming from authorities, locals fear that if truck parking is not cleared, it may lead to fatal accidents.
