One fact that has emerged very clearly in the past few days is that the traffic situation on the highway between Cortalim and Agassaim has not improved, and is unlikely to improve anytime soon.
It was further established that the traffic police have also not learnt any lessons from handling the rush in the past to enable a smoother ride for motorists. Also, assurances to streamline the traffic flow have not been met.
The traffic snarls on either side of the Zuari Bridge were back last weekend, and with the tourist season approaching a peak, these are only going to intensify.
For the past few days, there have been long queues of vehicles on either side of the bridge that have left people stranded for hours, leading many to miss appointments they were heading to keep.
An accident in the area causing the delay would serve as an excuse, but the authorities do admit that it is only the added flow of traffic that is causing the jams.
When one is driving south from a three-lane road, the stretch from Agassaim to Cortalim narrows to a single lane; and when one is driving north, the two-lane road from Margao reduces to a single lane.
But there is traffic from Vasco that joins here, causing an agglomeration of vehicles. Understandably, there will be a hold-up in this area, but it is difficult to comprehend that this jam would keep people on that short stretch stranded for hours.
If the traffic jams are caused because of the volume of traffic, it signifies that there is a lack of traffic flow management on the part of the authorities. The only thing restricting the smooth flow of vehicles is the extra vehicles on the road.
Currently, there are locals as well as tourists travelling, but is it so high a flow of vehicles that it cannot be managed by the traffic police? Plainly, there is a need for a solution.
Regular users of the highway who have been caught up on this stretch will vouch for the fact that there is an absolute lack of traffic management all along the stretch on both sides of the Zuari Bridge. As you drive towards Agassaim, the first batch of police will be seen at the junction where the road bifurcates into the village, going towards Goa Velha and Pilar.
On the southern side, the first police will be seen at the junction to Sancoale. The traffic jam, however, will have extended a couple of kilometres behind these two spots.
On the Agassaim side, on the three-lane road, there will be vehicles that are five or six abreast, and on the Cortalim side, on the two-lane road, there will be three abreast where possible. It is this congestion that needs to be tackled by the police in order to maintain a proper flow.
For when these vehicles reach the single lane, there are bottlenecks caused, resulting in more delays as motorists attempt to break the queue and push their way forward, driving onto road shoulders in attempts to reach faster.
Police personnel are required along the route to stop such drivers and force them to wait so that those who have inched their way forward, keeping behind the vehicle in front, get preference.
Delays will be unavoidable, but the traffic flow on either side of the Zuari Bridge can be managed to a certain extent if there is an adequate number of cops on the stretch whose only role is to bring about discipline among motorists.
Instead, we see cops just standing at the crossroads and waving the vehicles forward, which serves little purpose. Nobody wants to stay stuck for longer than necessary, so they will move ahead.
We are told that one lane of the new Zuari Bridge is nearing completion. Its opening will reduce the congestion – may even end it completely – but there have been so many deadlines for the bridge opening that have not been met, that it is difficult to gauge when exactly this link, which is already seven years in construction, will be thrown open.
Until it is opened, can’t the traffic jams be avoided or reduced in intensity and frequency?
A delay of a few minutes due to the construction work on the new bridge is understandable, but not hours lost on a stretch of road that otherwise takes just a few minutes to cover. The month of December is going to see increased tourist traffic and the build-up at this point is going to cause delays.
If the authorities are unable to open the lane of the new Zuari Bridge before that or at least manage the vehicle flow, the queue of vehicles stuck here will only get longer.
Can the traffic authorities manage to reduce the waiting time on this stretch? It is not a very extended stretch of road. Surely it is possible with a little application of mind. If it cannot be done, then the weeks ahead are going to lead to a lot of delays for motorists.
