The towers emerging from the river Zuari stand imposingly tall and look impressive holding the cables from both sides and giving a unique look to the new bridge, what Chief Minister Pramod Sawant calls an architectural marvel. Moreover, the scenic aerial shots circulating on social media provide some breathtaking glimpses.
Sawant has thrown open the bridge for citizens for a “stroll” on foot from December 25 to 28 before the inauguration slated on December 29. It possibly would help in promos and branding since people will share photos and marvel at the new bridge.
However, across the Zuari, where the old bridge continues to serve as the crucial link between north and south Goa, it is a story of stark contrast where motorists continue to have a torrid time spending hours in queues on either side of the old bridge. Traffic jams have been the order on festive days, with vehicles queuing up for over two-three kilometres on both sides. In the run-up to Christmas, the day itself and after, serpentine queues left motorists helpless. Inviting pedestrians to view the bridge in such a scenario has only aggravated the problem. Although people can walk the bridge on foot, vehicular movement has escalated, leading to further turmoil. In a bid to promote optics through selfies and other photo ops, no attention is paid to the consequences it would have on traffic movement, which is already struggling.
Is there no concern for those facing misery through these traffic jams? Days after the decks were cleared, load testing done, lights tested, signboards put up, and nuts and bolts tightened, it was the non-availability of Union Minister for Roads Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari that was holding the government from announcing the inaugural. The irony is that a December 26 date, which was initially announced for opening the bridge, was immediately deferred to December 29 because Gadkari was unavailable. This is sad and frustrating and reflects a lack of sensitivity to the day-to-day problems faced by ordinary citizens. Hundreds of people travelling for work or business, tourists and those in a medical emergency, besides the common citizens who have timelines to keep, end up wasting time and energy in this painful test of patience. The short-term pain, as illustrated earlier by Dillipcon builders in their roadside hoardings, has run into overtime.
The earlier delay attributed to the pandemic was acceptable, not the one seen now. Going slow and postponing at this juncture is unacceptable because it is not helping anyone except allowing time for those at the helm to work out the modalities of event management. The formalities of the inauguration should have been planned earlier. There should have been a seamless traffic movement at this crucial time when there is festivity and an influx of tourists.
It makes poor sense when people are serenading and soaking in the grandeur of the imposing new bridge when a few metres away, there are hordes of people who are in distress, struggling to get out of hell on the highway.
