Traffic is and will always be Goa’s problem. One really cannot fault the Traffic Police all the time, to keep a vigil on senseless Goans ‘double parking’ on single parking streets.
There’s a level of stupidity one can endure — the people of my street, in the heart of Margao — Bank of Baroda to Hotel Gaylin, and more importantly the road leading upwards from Reliance Trade Centre to Altamont Society, makes absolutely no sense, with wrong parking and double parking resulting to ‘an everyday normal choke’. If you are one of them who has parked in the mentioned areas, consider yourself personally addressed.
The blame game is an old story with either side blaming the other — so what is it at the end of the day? Ineffective management or senseless citizens? I guess a bit of both sides. The citizens are immuned to the government and the concerned authorities turning a deaf ear, complaint after complaint. On the contrary, we need to use a little sense ourselves (if I may say so — a little) to use the roads as it is meant to be — to be driven on and not be used solely for wrong and double parking. That opens another can of worms, doesn’t it?
The common man then asks: “If I have to park ‘somewhere’, where do I park? — the government hasn’t allocated space in the town.”
Are the citizens doomed to be living in such pathetic conditions, where a normal road is not motorable simply because he cannot drive his way through to his house/building? I have been driving (my car) for a little over two decades now, and there are times I would think to myself. Do I deserve to be driving in conditions such as these? There are better ways to spend time then getting stuck on foolishly managed roads and no common sense in driving skills. Yes, the government doesn’t act on the complaints, that’s a given, but people! When would you learn? Who has taught you to drive, park, and for the better part of the whole experience — use common sense?
No, this just cannot continue. I’m not even sure if the concerned authorities would have the time to read this. However, I would like to believe they do but choose to ignore it. Shame on the authorities for not acting. If people do not listen, punish them, fine them, lock their vehicles — do something, anything but act — not for one day, or one week but keep up the practice and see how people get in line.
