Team Herald
MARGAO: The Traffic Cell of Margao has done a commendable job by taking urgent measures to prevent traffic congestion at the Old market circle. The Traffic Cell has also moved proposal to reduce the size of the roundabout and also for a slip road for the left turn towards Margao from Session Court side. Shorter queues were experienced on Friday at the circle at peak times.
Four traffic police and the Margao Traffic Cell Police Inspector Mohan Gaude were seen manning the junction on Friday. This was a move to make sure the traffic is cleared from the circle as fast as possible and also to keep the slip roads to Colva, Ravindra Bhavan and KTC free.
The Traffic Deputy Superintendent of Police Prabodh Shirvoikar has informed that the police have moved a proposal to the PWD to have the roundabout reduced by nearly 1 meter in radius. This has been proposed looking at the block and confusion that is created due to a big opening of the road and smaller areas to negotiate around the circle.
The traffic cell has also proposed to the PWD to have a slip road for the traffic which is coming from the Sessions Court side and taking left turn towards Margao. Since the land on the corner is a private property there was no area left for a slip road to be constructed here.
Another problem that has been seen is that if no countdown timer here at these circles due to which people take time to start their vehicles and then go ahead towards all three directions. It has been informed that the countdown timers have been out of stock in the market and hence they couldn’t procure any for this signal. However the traffic cell said that they will soon procure the same.
The traffic cell has also ensured that the buses that were being parked and passengers picked right on the circle is stopped and have been asked to pick ahead.
The timing of the signal has been increased to 50 seconds now from the 30 seconds when they were installed. After the changes in the circle and other changes the timing will have to be further reduced as there wont be traffic left for that a long time.
However, Adv J M Vivek Gomes in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, Collector South and Superintendent of Police Traffic pointed out that it took him 20 minutes to travel from Abade Faria Road to the Collectorate building on Thursday.
He also pointed out that after the 10 vehicles in queue on the lane coming from Ponda to Margao had passed the circle, the others had to wait for the traffic signal to change to move ahead. Instead of this he suggested if the signals were managed manually, whenever there is no traffic on a lane extra time could be given for the vehicles on the other lane to cross over.
The traffic cell has assured solution to the entire traffic management systems transition and has expected cooperation and help from the Authorities and also the people at large.
