PACHU MENON
The concerned MLAs too have been very conspicuous by their inaction on this matter. Opposition members always feel that the ruling deprive them of necessary funds for the development works in their constituencies. True as much the grievance may seem; but in spite of having a legislator who remained the CM of the state for the full five-year term, Margao is yet to see any development in its true sense.
Commuters travelling to Panjim via Cortalim on August 22nd morning were in for a real surprise with an orderliness in vehicular movement that has not been witnessed for quite some time on the ‘under development’ route which has woefully been in the throes of construction activities that shows no signs of nearing completion at least in the near future.
With tight rows of vehicles jamming the stretch, travelling on this route has been a real test of patience enough to leave commuters frustrated.
Furthermore, the sloppy condition of the stretch of road dotted with crater-like potholes guarantees to throw traffic out of gear. Unruly motorists squeezing in from every side available ensuring that the traffic which suddenly goes into the ‘three-lane’ mode as it nears bottlenecks do not help the situation either!
However, Thursday morning was a different story altogether!
With policemen placed strategically all along the stretch from Cortalim to the GMC turn-about very diligently directing traffic, commuters could not have asked for more. With vehicles moving at a steady pace, it was as if this stretch never experienced the travails of regular traffic holdups; nor did the movement of any heavy construction equipment cause traffic jams.
The visit of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah presumably gave a temporary respite to harried commuters on this route!
The brighter side was the realization that the Goa Police is not all that inefficient. As members of a force that has had command chains playing a pivotal role in how the subordinates reacted to the orders of their superiors, the state police gave a good account of itself. So it would seem that it is the lack of orders from their superiors that restricts traffic police personnel posted along such ‘precarious’ routes from performing their duties with alacrity.
However, the lackadaisical attitude that characterizes most of the police personnel deputed on traffic duty is in sharp contrast to the verve they show while penalizing traffic offenders.
If the movement of a VVIP can cause so much flutter that the indolence often attributed to the police is quickly replaced by the alertness so typical of a vigilant force, would it be wrong to desire a similar attitude towards their job during normal situations! Roads and highways in the state have always featured as regular topics of conversation among people. But never more so than during the rains!
While admitting that the developmental works in progress across Goa have thrown commutation on major routes helter-skelter, it must be said that some of the lesser used roads have seen better days.
Potholed surfaces are ‘hand-outs’ of modern day civil engineering techniques which enhance with every passing year. Besides taking a toll on the physical characteristics of the drivers, potholed roads can knock a vehicle out of alignment and potentially damage other suspensions or engine parts. And we are paying hefty amounts as road tax!
Moreover, manoeuvring over such thoroughfares puts one at the risk of accidents. So when they are a threat for both man and machine, why are the authorities turning a blind eye to such travelling travails! When will the commuting public stand up for its rights and question the authorities on the abysmal condition of the roads and highways!
Sometime back, planting saplings in the mini-craters that invariably opened up within a short period of laying the tarmac proved to be a novelty and these unique protests by the villagers compelled the authorities to pay heed and hasten repair works on the roads.Yet, a permanent solution was never forthcoming.
If the sight of construction equipment and road-rollers piling rubble into the depressions is anyone’s idea of road repairs, it is time the PWD woke up to the hardships that assail the commuting public.
Whether a new job, or repair works, does the PWD nevertheless have a system in place to check the quality of the works tendered! The answer would be no! On the contrary, the PWD as the concerned authority for tender procedures for road works is known to take a very partisan stand when it comes to the execution of the jobs.
Allowing contractors to get away with slipshod works, PWD engineers should be held responsible for the gross negligence that inevitably causes misery later for the travelling public.
An ordinance in place which allows for the implication, and subsequent prosecution, of the PWD officials every time there is a lapse in scrutinizing public works should bring some immediate results. With more vehicles than human beings on the roads, one can well imagine the seething anger that manifests itself amongst motorists on the primitiveness of the thoroughfares. Good roads and streets are said to be the true indicators of an efficient traffic system.
