Commuters complain travel on the route from Panaji to Margao takes three hours
Slam Goa Police for only issuing challans to motorist and being uninterested in resolving traffic woes
Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI/ MARGAO: The social media erupted as the Panaji-Margao route was choked with traffic after Diwali as tourists thronged the State.
Right from Porvorim to Panaji to Margao/ Vasco, the roads have been choked during the peak hours and tourist season, along with the work of the National Highway and Zuari bridge.
The commuters said the normal time for Panaji Margao or Vice-versa or the Panaji Dabolim airport, which took around 45 minutes to 1 hour, now takes more than 2 hours.
On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, many complained of missing the flights to their destination.
According to netizens, what has doubled up the traffic woes is the Agassaim bypass has been closed for traffic from Panaji to the Zuari bridge side.
“The vehicles have to pass through narrow Goa Velha-Pilar road towards Zuari bridge which takes a lot of time. The traffic just crawls,” they said.
On Tuesday, Goa Traffic Police announced that they are taking measures to smoothen traffic flow and have posted traffic police at important junctions.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and the Union Minister MoRTH Nitin Gadkari had said that the bridge’s single lane would be completed by December 15.
Gadkari and Sawant seem wrong on the projected date of inauguration as there are at least 25 cables to be installed while the work on the approach road is not yet completed.
“It does not seem the lane would be completed within a month,” the commuters said.
People react strongly…
Sam Lewis took to social media to vent his ire saying, “It is car jam session on Goa Road. D.J. Sawant and looting 40 thieves.”
One commuter Dominic Correia reacting to the traffic congestion, said, “the traffic police are busy giving challan for helmets and harassing the poor n the tourist but they don’t stop tinted glasses cars I think they don’t have d guts to do so.”
Edson Fernandes said after having extended road also so much traffic. R.T.O. were sleeping for their duty.
Atchit Falkar said every same evening story no major to do the smooth flow of traffic.
Sudin Kamat wrote, “I was on my way to Vasco but had to give up due to traffic, turned at Siridao and went back home.”
Aziz Chowhan said “Worst it took me 3 hours to reach Margao today.”
Bharat Kamat said, “The construction and maintenance of alternate roads is a part of the contract. Yet Dilip Buildcon has not done anything. Instead, they used their political power to silence the engineers demanding performance. The govt has to crack the whip and show that it cares.”
Uday Barad wrote, “Bad roads and not implementing/maintaining alternate/stop-gap parallel roads along the Zuari bridge road construction work line are the main causes of delays in crossing Cortalim to Agacaim (actually Goa Velha) stretch.
