Power minister stuck in traffic jam for two hours PANAJI: A three-hour-long snarl along the Panaji-Margao highway on Saturday brought traffic to a grinding halt. All it took was a couple of vehicle breakdowns to completely throw the route into chaos. In what is becoming a familiar scene and may only get worse as peak season approaches, ambulances, locals, tourists and even ministers were rendered immobile as traffic flat refused to move.It all started when a tempo and a bus belonging to the state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited broke down along the route. Soon, a serpentine queue began to form along the Agasaim to Verna road and the Cortalim stretch heading to Vasco. As one and then two lanes of traffic in the same direction ground to a halt, a few drivers decided to form a third and fourth line, clogging the roads even further.Earlier in the evening, a minor accident slowed traffic, but police cleared it quickly.On Saturday evening, police officials said that at least three ambulances and several fliers were delayed due to the jam. The long snarl also dampened the mood for Goans heading home for their Christmas holiday and locals heading to various wedding receptions. If that wasn’t bad enough, the influx of tourist vehicles ahead of peak season added to the madness.Police officials at the Agasaim station said that the ongoing construction of the eight-lane Zuari bridge was “one of the causes” of the massive traffic jam. It didn’t even spare power minister Nilesh Cabral, who was stuck for two hours en route to Panaji for an official function.“I am stuck and nothing is moving. I am right in the centre of the jam,” an exasperated Cabral told TOI.The congestion between the Cortalim circle and the Toyota showroom in Verna continued to clog the road well past 9pm.Earlier in the evening, traffic began to pile up at around 6pm, as tourist vehicles began moving towards the North Goa beach belt. Dilip Buildcon Limited, which is constructing the Rs 1,403 crore bridge, was also moving heavy machinery at peak hour, worsening the problem.“There was no accident,” a police official said. “Because of the construction work, traffic was diverted for a while, but since there are a lot of vehicles, everything stopped moving.”However, commuters blamed traffic police for mismanagement of vehicular movement.“The PWD and traffic cell are both responsible for this problem and if they don’t take any precautions, the problem will get worse on Christmas and New Year,” said Vivek Naik, a motorist who was stuck in the jam from 7pm to 9pm.Fewer than 10 cops were seen managing the flow of traffic. To try and ease the jam, they diverted traffic through Sancoale and Thane.“This is complete mismanagement by traffic cops,” Govind Kane said. “They were letting vehicles from Vasco, Panaji and Margao get to the Cortalim circle at the same time.”

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