Despite our Supreme Court having clearly ruled time and again that public roads cannot be closed even for the movement of VVIP vehicles, the traffic mayhem witnessed in and around Panaji over the weekend on account of the visit by Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is highly condemnable. Every visiting dignitary must be given a warm welcome but not at the cost of disrupting the traffic.
The authorities were required to ensure that the free flow of vehicular traffic was not obstructed or blocked. It was sheer incompetency by the traffic regulating authorities that the commuting public were put to great inconvenience and traffic chaos all over while the traffic police miserably failed in controlling the mess. Such disruption of normal life is absolutely impermissible and unpardonable. Even the visiting President of Portugal would have not liked it. May be its high time that our RTO and Traffic officials who currently have the expertise in only prosecuting the common men and women for minor traffic violations, are now professionally trained on proper traffic management. There is no reason why a well thought out plan cannot be put in place to execute for every visiting dignitary and major event in the state rather than people being needlessly inconvenienced through a gridlocked capital and State due to the pathetic failures and negligence by the authorities. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com
