NT Reporter
Panaji
Tourism Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte has sought improved entry and exit points to the Atal Setu, a traffic signal at a key junction, repairs to roads beneath the flyover and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.
“The new infrastructure, intended to ease congestion along the Panaji–Mapusa corridor, must also provide convenient connectivity and safe movement for local residents,” Khaunte stated in a letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
The letter follows a high-level meeting held on September 21. While acknowledging the directions issued at the meeting, Khaunte stated that several issues remain unresolved and require priority attention.
A key demand is to provide convenient access to the Atal Setu for Porvorim residents, including an exit into Porvorim near the Majestic Hotel junction. The letter states that residents should not have to take long or circuitous routes to access the bridge or travel towards Mapusa and other destinations.
The local MLA has also sought a functional traffic signal at the junction where vehicles descending from the Porvorim flyover merge with local traffic and vehicles heading towards Atal Setu enter the bridge. He has called for better traffic regulation at the junction.
The letter also seeks expedited acquisition of additional land belonging to the local comunidade near Neo Majestic Hotel to facilitate the widening of a bottleneck along the six-lane corridor. It calls for repairs and resurfacing of junction roads beneath the elevated flyover and the installation of rumble strips at appropriate intersections to regulate vehicle speeds.
On road safety, Khaunte has sought prominent signage warning two-wheeler riders against using the Atal Setu, in accordance with existing restrictions. He has also proposed reflective illumination strips on structural barricades to improve visibility at night, along with AI-enabled surveillance and speed-detection cameras to strengthen enforcement and identify traffic violations.
The Minister has further recommended trial
runs by the departments concerned under the supervision of the Directorate of Transport and the Traffic Police before the revised traffic arrangements are implemented permanently. He has also proposed circulating simple video guides on social media to familiarise commuters with the revised layouts and correct lane usage.
