This is with reference to the news report 'Traffic chaos: Govt draws flak for delay in new Zuari Bridge opening' (TGE, Dec 28). Traffic jams on Goa roads are a common feature , especially during the festive season of Christmas and New Year. This is largely attributed to the increase in tourist footfalls. Secondly, there can be no excuse for the poor traffic management on Goa roads by the RTO, especially at traffic signals, where the timings of the 'stop and go' signals need to be manually controlled, according to the volume of traffic . It is a sad commentary that besides this glaring lacuna , there is also a woeful shortage of traffic cops at the traffic lights to penalise motorists who jump signals and increase the risk of accidents. Thirdly, due to the narrow roads, even a small accident can cause a cascading effect of traffic hold ups. Blaming the Goa govt for traffic jams on the Agasaim-Cortalim stretch due to the delay in opening up the new Zuari bridge is something both uncalled for and malicious.
