PANJIM: The Patto business enclave, which was once acquired for shifting government offices to decongest the city by the Economic Development Corporation, had to be sold to corporates after the EDC’s finances were in bad shape. However, the prestigious enclave has deteriorated into a state of disrepair due to continued neglect, especially its roads.
If one enters the Patto area from the old Patto Bridge, the entire stretch of road from Tourism Bhavan to Sesa Ghor is in bad shape. Due to the ongoing project work of the proposed convention centre, the road has no proper parking and vehicle owners are forced to park in the muck.
The roads in Patto are plagued with potholes at every stretch, nook and corner. There is also loose gravel all over the roads, which can cause any two-wheeler riders to slip. In many places where there are pavers put on the road, the pavers have come off and pose danger to both two-wheeler riders, especially senior citizens and motorists as well.
The pedestrian crossings are so badly designed and high that vehicle users have break dead in order to negotiate them. The pavers on the pedestrian crossings too have come off, posing a threat to safety of pedestrians.
The neglect of the authorities concerned is such that our lensman caught citizens filling the potholes with stones and pavers, to easy the bumpy ride. Moreover, the road outside the KTC bus stand which links to Patto enclave from Hotel Rego side, resembles the craters on the moon.
Worse still there are no traffic police or home guards to regulate traffic or maintain discipline, but there are plenty of pay parking wardens to collect pay parking fees. Our lensman caught a motorcyclist riding on the footpath posing danger to pedestrians.
The situation aggravates during the monsoon. There is no proper drainage and the roads are flooded near the Gera Towers leading to the State Central Library.
A senior citizen Luisa Maria Pereira, who was riding a two-wheeler at Patto Plaza, told O Heraldo, “A government team should be inspecting all roads for 24 hours. Many commuters lost their lives. We are extremely scared to drive at Patto. There is a constant fear that we will fall. This is especially dangerous for women. My husband too fell from his two wheeler due to a pothole and he suffered a rib injury. He was admitted to Manipal Hospital and we had to pay dearly. Government should have borne this expense. Don’t we pay road tax? Where is the road tax going?”
A taxi driver, who was filling potholes said, “I’m filling the potholes since anyone can fall. Once potholes are filled with water, scooterists cannot gauge the depth. There are potholes on every road of Patto enclave. I have seen at least two riders fall due to these potholes.”
