MARGAO
As the traffic police in coordination with other agencies conducted a drill from the airport down the Leela beach hotel to test the efficacy of the traffic arrangements on the eve of the arrival of the VVIPs on Friday, motorists and citizens were stranded at several places and at junctions as traffic was stopped by the police to pave way for the convoy of vehicles to pass.
At the old market junction, one heard motorists bitterly complaining about the traffic held up by the police nearly half an hour before the arrival of the mock convoy. Similar was the story along the
Old market junction to the Colva road.
Most of the motorists were caught off guard during the mock drill since the authorities had announced traffic diversions only during the weekend. After the convoy of vehicles passed the old market junction before taking the Colva road, bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed at the junction with traffic personnel manning and giving directions to the motorists to clear the rush.
South Goa SP Shekhar Prabhudesai and DySP Traffic Prabodh Shirwaikar, had on Wednesday, allayed apprehensions among the public that the roads will be closed for traffic during the two-day BRICS summit.
