Growing pub lic resentment over new ly activated traffic signals across South Goa has in tensified ahead of the roll out of AI camera-based traffic challans from July 1, with motorists claiming that several installations are creating bottlenecks rather than easing traffic movement. The strongest criticism has emerged from Verna Industrial Estate, where commuters say newly activated signals at key junctions have led to long queues and delays on one of South Goa’s busiest traf fic corridors. Motorists travelling between North and South Goa have com plained that vehicles are being held up for extended periods, defeating the pur pose of highways, flyovers and road-widening pro jects aimed at improving traffic flow. Sushila Naik, who travels daily between Margao and Verna, said the newly acti vated signals at Verna In dustrial Estate were caus ing significant delays. “Every day, I get stuck at the two signals while trav elling towards Verna, and the situation is the same on my return journey in the evening. Traffic keeps piling up, and commuters are spending far more time on the road than before,” she said. Businessman Abhijeet Salkar also criticised the situation at Verna, saying the new AI camera-linked system was creating big ger snarls at signalised junctions. “These new AI cameras are causing bigger traffic snarls at every signal in Verna Industrial Estate. It defeats the very purpose of installing them. AI is supposed to make life easi er, not create more delays,” he said. Similar concerns have emerged from the Nuvem bypass, where motorists have questioned the need for signal-con trolled intersections on stretches designed to improve traf fic flow. Rahul Desai, a regular commuter on the Nuvem bypass, said traffic movement had deteriorated since the new sig nal system became operational. “The bypass was meant to ease traffic flow, but vehicles are now being forced to stop repeatedly. What should be a smooth stretch is turning into another bottleneck, espe cially during peak hours,” he said. Criticism has also surfaced in Betalbatim, where former MLA Radharao Gracias said the new traffic arrangements were creating bottlenecks where none existed before. “The function of the Traffic Police is to identify traffic bottlenecks and clear them. Somehow, the Traffic Police in Goa are doing the opposite by creating bottlenecks where there were none,” Gracias said. Referring to the Betalbatim-Seraulim-Colva-Majorda tri-junction opposite the village panchayat office, he added, “Traffic always flowed smoothly until the signalling system was activated. Now, vehicles are queuing up unnecessarily while waiting for the signal to change. If anything was re quired, it was a traffic circle, not automated traffic signals.” The latest objections surfaced at the Maria Hall junction in Benaulim, where residents, along with Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, raised concerns during an inspection by the Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Traffic Police and Transport Department officials. Residents argued that the newly installed traffic signal and CCTV system at the nar row four-road junction could worsen congestion, increase accident risks and create hardships for daily commuters. They urged authorities to remove the signal and reconsider the traffic management plan before the AI challan system becomes operational. Questions have also been raised about the concentration of AI-enabled signals and camera systems in South Goa. Francis Rodrigues questioned why the network appeared to be largely focused on South Goa when several heavily trafficked tourist areas and accident-prone stretches were located elsewhere in the State. “Most major accidents are reported from tourist belts and busy roads elsewhere, yet the AI signals appear to be concentrated in South Goa. Are these signals being installed selectively to protect any particular lobby in tourist areas whose vehicles may otherwise be caught by the AI camer as?” Rodrigues asked while seeking greater clarity on the criteria used to identify locations for the installations. The concerns have gained prominence ahead of the July 1 rollout of AI camera-based traffic enforcement across Goa. While authorities maintain that the system is intended to improve road safety and promote traffic discipline, motor ists across South Goa are increasingly demanding a review of signal timings and traffic management measures before the new enforcement mechanism becomes operational.
Signals slowing, not easing, traffic flow: Motorists
