Three mishaps have taken place at the spot in last 2 days
Utter chaos and confusion ensues at the national highway junction at Peddem, Mapusa, as motorists and pedestrians crisscross the junction putting lives at grave risk.
Photo Credits: Agnelo Pereira
MAPUSA
The chaos and confusion at the junction on National Highway (NH66) at Peddem near Mapusa poses danger to motorists and pedestrians alike.
Failure to introduce some basic safety measures on the busy and accident-prone junction has led to a spate of accidents at the site.
In the last two days at least three mishaps have taken place at the junction with speeding vehicles colliding with one another.
In the last four months, from the time the highway has been thrown open to vehicular traffic, several accidents have taken place at the spot. Also, several minor mishaps go unreported almost on a daily basis.
Vehicles and pedestrians from Peddem sports complex on eastern side and Asilo hospital on western side, who enter the NH66 running in north-south direction often find themselves in the midst of speeding traffic from either side.
“It is a veritable chaos at the junction with vehicles and pedestrians entering the highway from the western (Asilo hospital) side concentrate on speeding traffic coming from Panaji, but after crossing one side they encounter speeding vehicles from Pernem side on the eastern (Peddem sports complex) side,” said Shekar Naik, an activist and a resident of Mapusa.
He said almost eight roads converge at the junction putting lives of motorists and pedestrians at grave risk particularly at night.
Further the service road is very narrow at several points, he said.
Sources in the Mapusa traffic cell informed that they had brought to the attention of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) about the dangers the motorists encounter at the junction.
“We have written to the NHAI about the issues at the junction and steps to be taken to rectify the problem,” a traffic cell official said.
According to Shekar Naik, a flyover was a must at the junction as several people using the facility of sports complex and those who need to visit the Asilo hospital crisscross the junction.
“The government needs to act fast and find a way out to resolve the issue at the earliest before a tragedy strikes at this junction” he said.
Assistant Engineer of National Highway, Dinesh Tare acknowledged the grim situation at the junction and has also lined up some steps the highway authority was supposed to take to ease the situation.
“We are planning to install an electric signal and ensure a proper circulation in the area,” Tare said.
