The area from the Miramar circle to the Goa Science Center,turns into a huge unauthorized parking lot early mornings and in theafternoons. Children getting dropped off and then fetched from Sharada Mandirschool, results in the biggest daily traffic congestion.
Even the arterial roads that connect Miramar to Caranzalem,Dona Paula and Panjim get clogged as traffic spills over.
What is surprising is that no serious attempts are beingmade to sort out the mess.
The foot bridge was a step in the right direction, butapparently failed to serve the purpose.
“The school was not taken into confidence when the footbridge was constructed. The proposal was not even discussed with us,” saidSharmila Umesh, Principal of Sharada Mandir’s secondary school.
After the bridge was ready the authorities requested theparents and the children to use the bridge. But unfortunately some childrenslipped and fell, as the steps were either too slanting or slippery. Thereafterthe parents and kids refused to use the bridge, Umesh disclosed.
“The bridge was constructed at the instance of BabushMonserrate and was not a bad idea. But sadly it’s not being used anymore,” saidSurendra Furtado, Corporator of Corporation of City of Panjim.
In the morning and noon the road opposite the school turnsinto a huge traffic mess. Long queue of four-wheelers adds to the congestionblocking free flow of vehicles in the area.
“We have built three entrances to the school in order toease the traffic congestion. The main entrance is for those students who aredropped by cars and those who walk in. The second entrance is for those whotravel by school bus and the third is exclusively kept for teachers andstudents who can enter with their two-wheelers,” said Eunice De Sa, Principalof the Sharada Mandir’s junior school.
Vehicles parked on road opposite the school is another bigproblem. Currently parking is carriedout in two lines instead of one on the road. Worse the parking is not notified.
Panjim Mayor Vaidehi Naik confirmed that the parkingopposite the school was not a notified parking area. “We have decided to placethe whole traffic problem near the school in the upcoming meeting of CCP.Hopefully everyone can discuss and arrive at a solution,” Naik said.
Panjim Traffic Cell in charge PI Dharmesh Angle said thatcurrently the road opposite the school was being used as parking but it was nota notified parking zone. “We plan to put steel barricades on parking side sothat these vehicles do not obstruct free movement of traffic,” Angle said.
He further added that the traffic cell was currentlymanaging the traffic manually by posting staff near the school at peak hours.
