This time of the year, we see a great influx of national and to a lesser extent foreign tourists flooding Goa. The numbers have clearly reversed in the not too distant past. An overwhelming majority of foreigners used to arrive in Goa at this time of the year, clearly exceeding the local desi tourists. The locals throng and flock at Goan beaches to seek sun, sand, and sea in addition to cheap liquor, drugs, noisy music, natural beauty which Goa caters in exotic and hospitable fashion they wish to partake in the celebrations.
Our roads are very much clogged and jammed with the abundant rush of Desi tourists traveling in their own or rental cars totally jam-packed and overflowing, unable to digest efficiently the swells of ever escalating traffic. Men in uniform visibly far scattered are beyond their control to give or command directions in the absence of some signal lights or some non-functioning and dead signals not to service the perpetual traffic snarls. Moreover our tiny roads can’t cope these upsurges in peak hours at strategic locations. The other day on the weekend, I was caught up in an exuberant traffic snarl about two miles long at Porvorim junction at the four cross roads bumper to bumper going at snail’s pace, mostly by vehicles registered outside our state, ultimately relieved in 2hours coming out of this ordeal.
I suggest as I did in the past that flyovers must be constructed at such breaking points & strategic locations where ever they are required in different towns and cities to ease.
Traffic on these bottle neck roads, immense relief and good harmony will be achieved. The current situation is bound to worsen in future as tourism is rapidly growing and showing a profound high growth of nearly 30-50%/ year of the GDP, which Goa is unable to cope with given the infrastructure in roads it has, which need a steep upgrade to more advanced motorable roads, water and electricity. In the midst of this tourism melee, the rich get richer but the poor and downtrodden get poorer, sort of survival of the fittest which require a stabilising force to give directions in the flow of wealth creation.
Other than the two world-class bridges and the roads in their immediate vicinities the other hinterland inroads are as pathetic as can be putting immense strains on the free flow of traffic on the main highways. Accidents due to these little Portuguese era roads wherein drivers have torrid times in meandering or negotiating they lose patience and in a hurry speed up in limited time causing road accidents and fatalities. Caution is thrown to the winds, steeped in exhaustion and driving in a reckless some in an inebriated state cause accidents. Tourism needs shoring up it’s finances which can be achieved by charging a nominal cess whether by way of rail, road and air entry points for all travellers coming into Goa which will cater to the needs and upkeep of basic infrastructure, and clean-up of garbage on sidewalks, highways, rivers and beaches.
Electricity revamp is required for lighting of roads where there is none, which many times prove fatal when vehicles are parked on roadsides, squatting cattle hinder vehicular movement and visibility is absolutely poor.
