While the concept of ‘traffic jams’ was
alien to most Goans until a few months ago, the sorry state of the road near
the Mandovi Bridge, coupled with the tourist season, has ensured that this term
finds a prominent spot in the Goan vocabulary. This traffic congestion has made
it a nightmare to cross the Mandovi Bridge that links the southern part of Goa
to its northern counterpart. This in turn has encouraged the locals to consider
alternate weekend plans – those that do not involve crossing the bridge and
thereby getting stuck in the seemingly eternal jam.
Akshay Parsekar, a resident of Dona Paula,
was recently on his way to Cohiba in Sinquerim to join his friends for the
Saturday night fun-filled madness that ensues at the venue almost every week.
However, Akshay was in for a rude shock for what was to ensue that evening.
Akshay says, “It took me almost 2.5 hours to reach the venue instead of the 40-odd
minutes that it usually takes. What is surprising is that out of the 2.5 hours,
I spent over 2 hours stuck on the bridge. The remainder of the journey via
Nerul road cost me a maximum of 20 minutes.”
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The regular occurrence of traffic jams has
prompted the locals, especially those from in and around Panjim who head to the
buzzing northern part of the state for their dose of fun fare over the weekend,
to look out for alternate options within the capital city. Clancy Soares from
Ribandar says, “Panjim has got quite a few options that can make your weekend
as happening as Baga or Sinquerim. Café Mojo and Down the Road in Panjim are
good substitutes as far as clubbing is concerned. For dining options, Panjim
has a healthy list of good restaurants that are more than eager to welcome a
few extra patrons who choose not to head north. Some properties like Bay 15,
apart from serving multi-cuisine food and offering a great sea view, also
provide live entertainment options on selected days.”
While the northern beach belt has
established itself as ‘the zone’ of nightlife and live entertainment by
catering to the masses throughout the years, the capital city and its suburbs
are perhaps the best substitute for those not willing to burn the fuel and
their patience while being stuck on Mandovi Bridge.
