The North Goa District Road Safety Committee has directed the Public Works Department’s National Highways division to submit a crash analysis report and identify the agencies and officials responsible for the safety audit and supervision of the Porvorim Elevated Corridor after a fatal multi-vehicle accident on the newly opened route.
The committee took the decision at a meeting held on Friday, following the crash on September 12 near the corridor exit close to Neo Majestic Hotel. The accident occurred a day after the elevated corridor was inaugurated, according to a report by the Times of India.
The Public Works Department is expected to submit the Accident Analysis Report for the incident, along with details of the agencies and officials involved in the corridor’s safety audit and overall construction supervision. The committee’s direction places responsibility for reviewing the crash with the department and requires the roles of the parties involved in the project’s safety oversight to be documented.
The meeting also addressed the wider road fatality situation in North Goa. Accident Analysis Committees attached to the respective police stations will submit reports after 12 people were killed in fatal accidents across the district during September, the report said.
The committee has also asked PWD (NH) to prepare a proposal for cranes and related arrangements to remove broken-down vehicles from roads in coordination with the traffic police. The measure follows concerns that unattended stalled vehicles can contribute to fatal accidents by creating hazards for approaching motorists.
The proposed crane arrangement would create an operational response for clearing disabled vehicles, although the report did not specify the number of cranes, their locations, the response time or the funding mechanism. Those details are expected to be addressed in the department’s proposal.
The committee further decided that applications to notify speed breakers made by the district collector will, from now on, be accompanied by plans drawn to scale by the Public Works Department. This requirement is intended to ensure that proposals for traffic-calming measures are supported by formal plans before notification.
Underage driving was another subject discussed at the meeting. The Education Department is to prepare an awareness and enforcement action plan with assistance from the Directorate of Transport and the traffic cell of the Goa Police. The report did not provide a timeline for the plan or specify the enforcement measures that will be included.
The meeting was chaired by Pravin Hire Parab, Additional Collector I of North Goa. Members also endorsed the “Don’t Drink and Drive” awareness campaign launched jointly by Goa Medical College and the North Goa District Collectorate.
The immediate next steps are the submission of the Porvorim corridor crash analysis, details of the safety audit and supervision agencies, the district accident reports and the PWD proposal for cranes and vehicle clearance. The committee’s decisions will depend on these reports and proposals for further action.
