WHAT A OFFICE-GOER SAID ..
>> Besides being sick of having to wait so long in the traffic jam, we are also tensed about reaching late to work
>> If we punch in late 3 times a month, a half-day leave is cut, and with the continuous traffic woes on that route, a lot of people are losing leave
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MOTORISTS OUTRAGED
>> Motorists reacted with outrage as vehicles were held up for several hours along the Cortalim-Agassaim stretch of the highway
>> A taxi driver, Eddie Fernandes, said he had been stuck at the Agassaim bypass while his passenger was scheduled to board a flight
>> Vasco Councillor Murari Bandekar said such traffic jams could be fatal to patients while ambulances struggle to make it to GMC hospital
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PANAJI: Commuters on NH-17 A and B (Margao-Panaji/Vasco via Zuari bridge) had an even harder time of it than usual on Monday, with people taking up to four hours to get to work or back home, routes that usually take between 45 and 55 minutes, on a day with average traffic.
However, contrary to what commuters assumed, the delay did not involve an accident or road mishap, and in fact, was simply due to the bad roads on a route on which traffic is already hampered by the overhead bridge construction on the national highway. The situation was aggravated by frustrated commuters who were getting delayed, who tried their level best to make it to work on time by resorting to breaking queues and overtaking where there was no space to.Speaking to 'The Goan', Superintendent of Traffic Dinraj Govekar explained that the potholes on the Agassaim stretch led to vehicles slowing down, as everyone was keen on avoiding the potholes. "Vehicles were navigating in such a way so as to avoid the potholes on the Agassaim stretch which led to the slow down in traffic," said Govekar. "There were no blockades or accidents on the route though. The continuous rain added to the problem," he said, while informing that the superintending engineer and others had conducted an inspection on Monday morning to try and come up with a solution to the problem. "We are taking steps to improve the situation, and have suggested some measures. Let's hope the rain too lets up," he said.
While pointing out that all the traffic police staff had been stationed on the route to try and regulate traffic, Govenkar also lamented that commuters did not follow road etiquette. "For the last 3 days, we have been sending extra staff there, including PIs and DySPs. It's not possible to post a policeman at every inch, and wherever people don't see a policeman, they overtake," he said.
On the other hand, commuters were completely on edge, with many people reaching late to work. A government servant who travels by bus and who did not wish to be identified said, "Besides being sick of having to wait so long in the traffic jam, we were also tensed about reaching late to work. If we punch in late 3 times a month, a half-day leave is cut, and with the continuous traffic woes on that route, a lot of people are losing leave."
Shubhanker Shah, student of Goa University, who took his bike explained that the streamlining of the traffic, although done to help ease congestion, slowed things down. "The cops took turns stopping traffic from one side to let the other side move faster, but this had the opposite effect from what they intended," he said.
Parents too had a tough time controlling their wailing infants, some of whom were crying continuously for over an hour of their three and a half hour wait inside the bus. Outraged passengers did not hesitate to back-seat drive, shouting out instructions and curses to the driver of a Kadamba shuttle, and blaming him for delaying them.
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Requested contractor for
pavered road: Traffic PI
VASCO: Attributing the huge traffic jam to the huge potholes and waterlogging due to the bridge construction work, Vasco Traffic Police Inspector Roy Periera said the contractor has been asked to lay pavers on the damaged road surface.
"Actually, traffic was not blocked at the Cortalim circle where we only maintain a stop-go movement. The main problem is from the Agassaim side and traffic gets choked there and we cannot do anything at the circle as all roads automatically get blocked. The moment the traffic slows down, motorists start moving in double lines, making it worse," said PI Pereira.
"On Monday, we had a discussion with the engineers and have suggested that they lay pavers on the road. There is a lot of waterlogging as there are no drains and we have asked them to raise the height of the road, otherwise though the contractor had tarred most stretches of the road, the rains washes off the surface in a few days leaving large craters, make it difficult for motorists. Two wheelers move even slower as water splashes on them," said PI Pereira.
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