The past weekend – a long one that lasted
from Thursday to Sunday saw a very high number of tourists spend their time
here, leading to traffic mismanagement which left the locals and the tourists
stranded for hours together. Goa failed in this live test of the state’s
traffic management skills and most of the people who voiced out their
frustration and anger on the social media, directed it towards the government
authorities.
Questions were raised as to ‘if we cannot
manage a long weekend holiday, how will the state manage the month of December
which is full of events including two major EDM parties’. Also, considering the
fact that starting November, most restaurants came back to life, many fresh
ones open to cash in on the season and multiple events see the locals rushing
to the areas along the northern beach belt. If the Thursday morning saw the
stretch from Mandovi bridge to O Coquiero circle in Porvorim congested all day
long, Friday only made it worse with traffic jams hitting other parts of the
Northern beach belt like Arpora, Candolim, Calangute and Nerul. Locals also
complained of incompetent traffic management in Old Goa near the churches as
tourist vehicles were seen parked along either sides of the road, leaving room
for only one vehicle to pass at a given time.
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Some of the posts on social media
platforms:
Alroy Fernandes: Flipkart’s servers just
realised what us Goan folks went through this weekend
Ethel da Costa: I love Goa. It drives me to
tears, literally, when I see how we mismanage ourselves so badly. We are such a
beautiful state. Our natural resources are abundant, and yet we have scant
respect for it and for its governance. Traffic management is a tactical plan.
It is appalling we cannot manage it when we need to, must do.
Marius Fernandes: The road that leads to
the Poriat Football ground is a total disaster with potholes, gutters, drains
opened and garbage everywhere. So I got out of my car, looked for Goans amongst
the hordes of tourists and asked him what the heck is going on in the so called
queen of Goan beaches. His answer was short and blunt – ‘its a political game
being played by the politicians at all levels’. So will Calangutkars look the
other way.
Sanjeev V Sardesai: On certain heavy rush
days, traffic on this road MUST be made one way. Half day one side and half day
reverse or one way the whole day! Yes, there will be inconvenience, but there
will be no blockades as seen now!
Lyndon Alves: If we don’t get our act
together, we are doomed! The quality Indian tourist, who would replace the
international tourism downfall, would only wow never to visit this holiday to
hell!
