In the last few years the volume of traffic in Goa has increased by leaps and bounds. To accommodate this several of the existing roads have been widened or new roads laid. This has led to rash driving, speeding, overtaking from the wrong side, etc. Yet, there are no traffic lights installed at crucial junctions and even if present, the lights do not work or have only red and green with the orange missing and sometimes the lights have not been commissioned for ages! Such non-functional installations are just show pieces and serve no purpose except as expensive perches for birds. For example, the traffic lights at St Inez was set-up years ago but never functioned. At certain road junctions traffic lights are important but not installed e.g. near Panjim ferry wharf where four roads meet near the Braganza building (old central library). Here there is no zebra crossing while the cops (if present) would be near the petrol pump but will not halt the vehicles for pedestrians to cross. These hurdles make crossing this busy road a nightmare. Traffic lights should be installed on either sides of the approach roads to Zuari Bridge to lessen the chances of accidents due to overspeeding and overtaking. Hopefully the authorities are aware of these issues and something would be done not only in Panjim but wherever such problems exist in Goa.
Non-functional traffic lights
