Commuters at risk at slippery Panaji ferry ramp

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

Around 7 ferry commuters including 2 women slipped and had a fall on the slippery cemented ramp at the Panaji ferry point while rushing to board the ferryboat on Thursday evening.

Luckily, nobody fell into the water or came in contact with the ferry but all ended up dirtying their clothes and escaped with bruises.

Of late, commuters are complaining that the ferry ramp has turned slippery due to the growth of algae and some had brought it to the notice of the authorities and as such bleaching powder was sprinkled at the ramp at the Betim ferry point to clean the algae that had come up during monsoon.

Although the attendants manning the gangplank try to enforce discipline, commuters throw caution to the wind by rushing into the ferryboat from every possible passage.

A woman in fact had a fall twice while rushing to board the ferryboat while others mostly youth escaped with bruises.

There is always a heavy rush of commuters on both sides of the ferry route with commuters jostling with each other and also with the motorists to board as well as alight from the ferryboats.

In evening, two ferryboats ‘Durbhat’ and ‘Aghapur’ were ferrying commuters full throttle with the gangplank almost fully occupied. Commuters said that there is an urgent need to bring in discipline on the commuters using the ferryboats between Panaji and Betim before any untoward incident happens.