PANAJI
Over a month after the Public Works Department (PWD) was directed to issue a fresh notice to Beltech AI for the removal of a long-defunct traffic signal at Merces Junction, the dormant fixture remains untouched.
Despite several communications between government departments, letters sent to the Bengaluru-based vendor as well as directives issued during a district road safety meeting, the idle signal continues to clutter one of North Goa’s busiest intersections.
Last month, the North District Road Safety Committee instructed the PWD to ask Beltech AI to dismantle the non-functional equipment following repeated complaints from the Traffic Police.
Officers have for several months raised concerns about the confusion and congestion the abandoned system is causing at the junction.
Although a March 1 deadline was informally discussed with the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police expected to intervene if no action followed, the only progress since has been a series of interdepartmental letters.
“There has only been paperwork,” a senior official told The Goan, confirming that no physical enforcement has followed. It is also learnt that the Additional District Collector’s letter to the Executive Engineer (works Div VII, NH, PWD) for the removal has allegedly not been acted upon.
The AI-based Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) was launched in March 2023 under a public-private partnership to streamline vehicular movement at Merces Junction -- a critical node linking National Highways 66 and 748, as well as several arterial roads and service lanes. However, the system soon malfunctioned and recently a traffic camera was left hanging loose.
PWD records show that an initial removal notice was issued to Beltech AI in October 2024, but the company failed to act. Amid mounting pressure from local authorities, a second notice was proposed in February this year.
On March 3, the Traffic Police wrote to the Chief Engineer of the PWD’s National Highways and Roads & Bridges division, reiterating the signal’s dismantling. The letter cited the traffic congestion and public inconvenience, particularly for ambulances heading to the Goa Medical College in Bambolim.
“It is once again requested to direct Beltech to either repair the traffic signal on priority or to dismantle it… in order to install a traffic signal under the Smart City project,” the letter stated.
Further correspondence came on March 26, when the Additional Collector wrote to the PWD describing the nonfunctional signal as “wrongly positioned” and “creating confusion in the minds of road users.” The letter called for its immediate removal and sought a compliance report. More than two weeks later, the signal has not been removed.
The inaction has drawn public criticism for the past several months, especially during high-traffic events including the Exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier and the opening of the new District Court Complex at Merces on March 10.
Sources told The Goan that Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd may be tasked with installing a new traffic management system at the site. However, any upgrade remains stalled until the defunct Beltech infrastructure is dismantled.
