On sultry and humid days where the mercury hovers close to 35 degrees, or when it rains cats and dogs, negotiating traffic along the dug up roads virtually could mean hell for motorists. And the 60-day road digging ban in North Goa issued by District Magistrate comes as a huge relief for citizens.
The recent Ribandar case is a classic example. A road dug under the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd (IPSCDL) underground cabling work virtually paralyzed traffic, forcing residents to walk the distance to their homes and motorists diverted along alternate routes. In the capital City, road digging has been a contentious issue round-the-year with the CPP mayor and commissioner constantly at war. The scene is no better along major city roads, parts of national highways and some of the arterial roads.
The ban on road digging will bring in relief, but it remains to be seen how quickly the hotmixing of the exposed tracts is undertaken, since these, if not covered in time, could be death-traps for motorists in the monsoon. Also, with the election code coming into the picture, the CCP will have to go into an overdrive in the limited time at hand before the rains take over.
While the dust settles down on road digging, the government must ensure that mechanisms are put in place to keep a check on such works, which at times are carried out in blatant violation. And if there is genuine concern for motorists, the government must activate its machinery for road surveillance. Digging up of roads is one part of the issue, but not restoring its surface is another. The time-frame for covering exposed portions of roads set in the magistrate’s order must be followed in letter and spirit and those violating need to be hauled up.
While digging of roads in Panaji was a talking point, the chaos at Cortalim roads also reached its flashpoint. And on Monday the Zuari bridge stretch played host to a surprise visitor. Director General of Police Pranab Nanda was joined by a team of engineers of Dilip Buildcon on a site visit. The DGP pointed out a few road engineering flaws and suggested measures to ease traffic. If it was that easy, we wonder why nobody including the PWD Minister bothered when Goans were often put through hours of trauma. We also wonder why ministers and VVIPs who frequent the highway with convoys speeding to and fro never experience the agony of getting stuck in such gridlocks for hours.
The DGP has given tips on partitioning of road with dividers and bollards, reducing the size of the traffic island at the Cortalim junction and spoke of traffic pressure points. However, the crucial aspect of enforcing strict road discipline, a primary factor that could help ease off traffic jams, has been ignored. Overtaking on the bridge surface is banned and a similar restriction on the approach roads could have helped a great deal in diffusing traffic buildup in cases of minor accidents. Till now, traffic management along this troubled stretch continues to be pathetic to say the least.
