Newton Sequeira | Oct 27, 2014, 12.35 AM ISTPanaji: Commuting in Panaji has turned into a horror story as commuters grapple with traffic jams, and with the tourist season about to begin, the problem is only expected to get worse.
Right from the time you enter the city at the KTC circle to the National Institute of Oceanography circle at Dona Paula, one is sure to encounter traffic bottle necks, and a journey that should ideally take 15 minutes ends up taking an hour.
"If I enter Panaji before 5pm, it takes 20 minutes to reach Caranzalem, but if it is after 5.30pm then it takes a minimum of 45 minutes," Miriam Carvalho said.
Caesar Mendes, an engineer from Porvorim, travels daily to the city and often reaches late for client interviews and appointments. "Even if I have to go to the market place or any particular area, since the traffic congestion is too much, it gets difficult."
"The main problem is parking," said mayor Surendra Furtado. "A proposal to take up the whole of 18th June Road as pay parking has been approved but not implemented."
Panaji, despite being the seat of governance and the capital, does not boast of a multi-level parking space and the mayor was quick to point out that he had proposed that certain sites could be converted into multi-story car parks. These plans have been shelved due to opposition from some councillors, Furtado said.
"Tourist buses coming into the city have no parking space... if we invite tourists we need to provide them with suitable places to park," deputy superintendent of police (traffic) Dharmesh Angle said.
Besides the lack of parking space, dug up roads, illegal parking and frequent rallies add to commuters' woes.
"There is an urgent need to set up a road safety traffic management committee," Goa civic & consumer action network coordinator Roland Martins said. "Only if we involve all the stakeholders can we find a solution."
"Roads that were good have been interfered with... tourist places are being dug up at the wrong time, just when season is starting," a police official said, citing his helplessness.
What the city also needs is an urgent and total overhaul in the public transport system. While private city buses ply along the major routes, people trying to reach areas like Altinho, Santa Cruz, 18th June Road find that they have to rely on private vehicles to get around. While authorities are quick to point fingers and shrug off the blame, it is increasingly clear that the city is ill-prepared to handle traffic. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Potholes-traffic-jams-bring-Panaji-to-a-grinding-halt/articleshow/44952815.cms
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