Traffic crawls as Panaji smart city works race against deadline

PANAJI: Residents of Panaji found themselves ensnared in a frustrating gridlock on Tuesday as eleventh-hour roadworks, aimed to meet the Smart City deadline of May 31, led to traffic congestion across the city.

The shutdown of vital routes, including Mala-Bhatlem and the stretch from St Inez Church to Casa Macau, jammed commuters’ movement.

The problems were compounded by obstacles such as mounds of mud and exposed manholes along key arteries like Rua de Ourem, in the vicinity of the Customs House, and on the road outside Panaji police headquarters.

With interior roads rendered inaccessible due to the ongoing construction activities, motorists were forced to take the main DB Road, amplifying traffic density and causing considerable delays in commute times.

“I take the road from Santa Cruz to St Inez via Bhatlem every day, but I was not aware of the road closure on Tuesday,” said a working professional from Panaji. “So, I had to turn back and use DB Road where I was stuck in slow-moving traffic for 25 minutes.”

The traffic snarls also impacted pick-up trucks and goods vehicles, whose drivers typically opt for interior routes to bypass the congestion on main roads.

“My client’s business establishment is at St Inez, and I was scheduled to deliver goods on Tuesday,” said a supplier. “We rescheduled the delivery to Wednesday because of road closures.”

One student recounted her ordeal of navigating through the traffic to reach her tuition class. “Most of my tuition mates stay in the vicinity of the class. I ride my bicycle for 3km to get there,” she said. “It took me 45 minutes to reach my destination.”

As Panaji grapples with the repercussions of the last-minute roadworks, commuters will have to brace themselves for potential disruptions in the days leading up to the Smart City deadline.