Court orders can address congestion, but lasting change depends on political will
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday directed the state government to implement a series of traffic management measures along Dayanand Bandodkar Marg to decongest city traffic linked to offshore casino-related activities, especially in the evenings. It directed the government to notify the stretch from the petrol pump near Panaji Residency to the Panaji Church as a no-parking zone. The authorities have also been asked to barricade the stretch from Divja Circle to the Ferry Wharf to prevent pedestrians from crossing at random locations.
The directions were issued by the division bench comprising Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamshandekar while reviewing traffic management in Panaji in a suo motu writ petition. The court highlighted the chaos along major arteries, particularly DB Marg and MG Road, and ordered remedial measures to curb indiscriminate parking and improve pedestrian safety. Parking will be prohibited near the casinos. Vehicles serving casinos and offices in the area will be required to drop off passengers at a designated location behind the Old Secretariat. CCTV cameras are to be upgraded to capture vehicle number plates and help the authorities act against illegal parking, unauthorised passenger drop-offs and other violations. During the previous hearing, the court expressed concern over traffic congestion in the city, explicitly pointing to offshore casino operations as a primary cause.
Over the past two years, citizens’ groups have taken up issues of traffic congestion, inconvenience, lack of pedestrian safety, traffic snarls and poor enforcement by the authorities. They have also highlighted how casino operators effectively treat prime public thoroughfares as their private valet and staging zones. While DB Marg is the city’s primary arterial waterfront corridor, unregulated parking, double parking and tourist taxis waiting to drop off or pick up patrons reduce carriage capacity from multiple lanes to a single choked lane, paralysing commuter movement. The authorities have done little to improve the situation, hence the court has had to intervene. Perhaps the authorities are helpless, as it is said that politicians of all shades and colours are aligned with the casino lobby. Imagine the plight of commuters, especially pedestrians, because of poor enforcement and lack of political will, if the court had not stepped in. With a review scheduled after one month, hopefully the authorities will fall in line. Necessary changes can be made, if required.
During his visits to Goa for the inauguration of new infrastructure, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has consistently extended support for improving the state’s road network. More than a year ago, he asked the Goa government to come up with a master plan focusing on transportation and the reduction of pollution. Promoting waterways has been his mission. His emphasis has always been on decongesting roads and removing encroachments along them. Incidentally, the Supreme Court ruled in June this year that the right to walk on a demarcated footpath is a fundamental right. Two months ago, it directed the central government to ensure that every road in the country has an encroachment-free space for pedestrians. In Goa, while some footpaths are cleared of encroachments, others are allowed to be used for commercial ventures with political backing. Along the same DB Marg, an encroachment blocking the footpath and parking area opposite Congress House was allowed, apparently with political patronage. It was only after a consumer rights group, opposition Panaji councillors and the media highlighted the issue that the illegal structure was dismantled.
When we talk of good governance, the authorities will have to prioritise commuter convenience and public safety over commercial interests.
