Cops on Mumbai-Goa highway face hurdles
The highway traffic police on the Mumbai-Goa highway faces several infrastructure-related obstacles while curbing accidents on the three major black spots on the Ghat-section, where several accidents have occurred this year. The public works department (PWD) and the Central government have said there is a shortage of funds and it will construct a four-way lane in the future.
There is no trauma care centre between Pen and Goa border. There is one in Chiplun, but it doesn’t have the desired infrastructure. A critical patient is rushed either to Panvel or Goa or Kolhapur.
Also, there is no crane with the government and the police uses private crane service to lift heavy vehicles. On Wednesday morning an overspeeding truck turned turtle and fell on a ST bus killing seven persons seated in it in Nivali Ghat. Though specialised ambulances are available, a single ambulance makes three to four rounds to rush all the injured to the hospital that day. “This was the ninth accident on the spot and the first fatal one this year. The second and the third black spots are Veral Ghat in Lanja where five minor and one fatal accidents have taken place and Vatul Ghat in Rajapur where five accidents have occurred and a fatal incident, where five of a family were killed,” a source said.
“There is a need for speed breakers and boundary walls, cat eyes, reflectors and new signboards. A lot of bushes need to be cut. But the PWD and the Centre is not implementing the suggestions as they say soon they will make it a four-way lane and they have no funds,” a highway traffic police source said.