Experiencing death by traffic in gridlock Goa

It has been awful all year, with choke-points on bridge crossings across the Zuari and Mandovi rivers, but now traffic has snarled beyond precedent all across the state. Part of the problem is ill-conceived and poorly managed roadworks everywhere, making the already bad situation worse. Another aspect is bad driving in the absence of enforcement of discipline. But mainly, the problem is just too many vehicles cramming into India’s smallest state, as thousands more pour over the borders everyday to catch peak season at year’s end. Now, it has become gridlock time all day, everyday in Goa, with dangerous consequences for every person in the state.

It is true that few places in the world have suitably tackled this problem, especially in Goa’s neighbourhood. Other prospering parts of India are worse just see Bengaluru. One of the reasons ride-sharing companies are flourishing across the entire continent is that Asian cities have been largely paralysed by traffic problems that exert huge costs on the economy and on individual health and productivity. Last year, a study of 9,000 people in nine of Asia’s biggest cities found the average commuter spends almost an hour stuck in traffic jams daily, which adds up to nearly an entire fortnight each year. That doesn’t include another several cumulative days looking for parking.

For decades, the great architect and urban planner, Charles Correa, warned the current chaotic traffic scenario would become inevitable if better decisions were not taken at the right time to make a difference. As he pointed out as far back as 1972, density and decentralised development are key to the character and ambience of the state. Mess with those crucial attributes, and it’s all downhill from there.

In such a tiny land mass, already wonderfully linked by age-old networks of roads and waterways, sufficient public transport could have solved so many problems. But that has never been any kind of priority, so individual ownership has exploded exponentially.

As of 2015, Goa already had by far the highest vehicle density in the country, at 551 per 1,000 people (the nationwide ration was 13 per 1,000). Today, the situation is significantly worse. Also particularly damaging at this time of the year is the free flow of vehicles across the border, the tsunami of giant tour buses and tourist-crammed taxis from neighbouring states and far beyond. This is beyond crisis to existential threat, as essential arteries come to a standstill, preventing even ambulances getting through. The latest phenomenon is residents of the worst-affected areas actually leaving to stay with relatives elsewhere, because their movements are so curtailed for this week.

None of this is unavoidable. Many places in the world deal with even more vehicles in smaller areas without becoming overwhelmed. The parking predicament and the emergency on the roads are an accurate reflection of what is happening at the top of the state’s power structures. Everything is jammed. Nothing is moving. It looks like nobody is in charge.

The writer is a photographer. Views expressed are personal.



Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here