PONDA, March 3 -- Team Herald

Furious locals gathered at the main Bethora junction on Friday to protest against the authorities for taking road safety for granted and neglecting their demands for the past four years. They alleged that the widening of the Bethora-Borim road into a four-lane highway was completed without adequate provisions for their safety, such as flyovers, underpasses, a traffic signal system, or proper speed breakers. This, they claim, has led to an increase in accidents and chaos on the road.

The locals stated that the 4-km stretch of road on the Belagavi-Margao route was previously a two-lane bypass but was widened last year into a four-lane highway without the necessary infrastructure for pedestrian safety. They co...