Team Herald
PANJIM: Traffic across Panjim city was thrown out of gear on the third day of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) with commuters and motorists facing a nightmare of traffic congestion in and out of the capital.
All the roads connecting to Panjim and the internal traffic flow moved at a snail’s pace as Goa’s two cultural events, Carnival and Shigmotsav parades, were being showcased on the Dayanand Bandodkar road in the heart of the city. The impact of the traffic chaos led to all the internal roads of Panjim and the surrounding areas of Taleigao and Bhatlem being affected by congestion. The police personnel were found lost as they had a tough time managing the traffic.
Pradeep Salgaonkar, a motorist who was on his way home said, “This is unexpected. There should have been some alternative arrangements or routes announced in advance. It feels very frustrating to get stuck in a traffic jam after working for the entire day.”
Acknowledging the impact of the chaos, Traffic Cell PI Chetan Saulekar said, “The traffic congestion was for a brief period of time. It was because of traffic diversion due to Carnival organised for the IFFI.”