IRB, GRP to be roped in to manage traffic

IRB, GRP to be roped in to manage traffic
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 14
Steps have been taken to ease out huge flow of traffic in the State especially along the coastal stretch where tourists are in large numbers, traffic officials said.
“We will deploy at least 100 additional traffic policemen considering the heavy inflow of vehicles in the coastal belt,” Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Arvind Gawas told Herald.
The State attracts nearly 25 lakh domestic and foreign tourists annually and the visits increase during Christmas and New Year celebrations. Not just the number of tourists, but the outstation vehicles too multiplies during the peak season.
“Many domestic tourists who drive down to Goa in their vehicles usually throng the beaches. The traffic concentration is therefore more in the coastal belt,” he said.
Besides the additional traffic force, the Traffic Department will also rope in Indian Reserve Battalion and Goa Reserve Police to manage the traffic scenario.
According to DySP (Traffic) Jayprakash Nagvekar, there is almost 15 to 20 percent increase in the vehicles coming from States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat during the tourist season.
Goa Police had decided to start a Traffic Police Station in Calangute considering the heavy vehicular flow. Gawas had told Herald in November that the station had been sanctioned three months ago and process to put it in place has begun.
He said that initially a separate traffic cell will operate from Calangute Police Station and later, it will be shifted to a new building forming a separate police station.
A police inspector, three sub-inspectors, four assistant sub-inspectors, 15 head constables and 30 police constables are sanctioned for this unit, which will take care of the traffic along the narrow lanes of the coastal belt.
The fresh staff will be appointed from the 157 traffic staff, which the state government has sanctioned for traffic police.
“We will also place signboards at important locations where traffic is more. Extra barricades will be placed and coastal stretch will be under strict vigilance in terms of security and traffic, as well,” an officer said.