Rhe state of Goa is on the threshold of yet another tourism season 2024-2025. The tourism stakeholders are already in an overdrive mode giving final touches to the infra to welcome visitors. This year, Goa will hold the exposition of our Goencho Saib St Francis Xavier from 21 November to 5 January 2025.
While Goa needs tourism and tourists to sustain our economy which has been hit badly after the mining closure in 2012 and later due to the unprecedented Covid 19 pandemic. In this entire scenario, one fear that is paramount on everybody’s mind is the rising cases of road accidents on a daily basis and regularity of fatalities in Goa.
Despite the best efforts by the Government and the State Transport department and the Traffic Police, accidents don’t seem to come under control. Their numbers are on the rise in our State. Bad or narrow roads, poor illumination during the night time, poor road engineering, road indiscipline, drunken driving, over speeding, cattle presence, pot holed unmotorable roads, are just some of the few causes that makes Goa the road accident capital in the country.
The presence of outstation tourists either riding the rent-a-bike two-wheelers or the rent-a-cab four-wheelers and throwing all caution to winds, disrespecting the road rules, discipline and driving recklessly either under the influence of alcohol or just for fun because of the false notion that in Goa one can indulge in anything and everything makes matters even worse.
The entire State of Goa cannot be a racing track just for the sake of tourism. We all have a right to live and use our roads without fear or anxiety. The ‘Kuch bi chalta hai’ attitude must stop.
The biggest setback for Goa and Goans in general as regards the increasing number of road accidents is the utter disrespect for the law, no fear of the law and sheer indiscipline. Indiscipline of any kind in any human sphere can only spell doom. This is exactly what is happening in Goa. It’s a pity, the Government and the law enforcing agencies have failed us on this count. The implementation of the law leaves much to be desired and the law book is not followed in true letter and spirit. Infact, Goa being a tourism state with high footfalls every year of domestic and foreign tourists, we should have set an example to the entire country by bringing in strict discipline on roads. Sadly, this is not happening. Every accident irrespective whether it is fatal or not, just adds to the overall annual
statistics. And efforts to reverse the situation seem to be inadequate.
The common man fails to understand, what is the real good reason that despite such high accident rate in relation to our state population, the government is really not so serious in implementing the law to curb such road rage and bloodbath with an iron hand. Goans have travelled the world and seen for themselves how the traffic and road discipline system work in other parts of the world including poorer countries like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia etc. But, when it comes to our tiny Goa, we lack the will to bring in a change for better. The state on the other hand is eager to bring in changes aping the West in terms of fashion, international cuisine, international music, adventure tourism, and entertainment and music festivals to attract tourists. But what are we doing for their safety on our killer roads? Why do we not ape the West in implementing road discipline and the law of the land? We need answers to these and many more questions if we are to really bring in some sanity on our roads and curb accidents and fatalities.
Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari is on record stating that the large number of fatalities in the country due to road accidents is a continuance of ‘failure’ for govt which has been fuelled by lack of respect for rules by motorists and pedestrians.
He further admitted that though the ministry is doing its level best, they are yet to get success. Around 1.7 lakh people died in road accidents in the last five years with 66% of them in the age group of 18-36 years. He has further admitted that it is a dark issue for his Ministry and there is a problem with the society, for there is neither fear nor respect for the law. Goa on the other hand has come to such a stage where there is utter chaos on our roads and highways and discipline and respect for law is just a mirage.
The government has to gets its priorities right and no verbal assurances or promises can save the day. The government has to go in for high end and sophisticated technology for monitoring highways and roads to make them safer for the tourists as well as the general public and control the road rage.
Even poor countries in our neighbourhood where too tourism flourishes for economic growth have got a better road discipline and fear of the law.
The Transport Department has to re-work on their strategies which will bring in road discipline on the highways and major district roads too.The menace of overspeeding, road indiscipline and driving under the influence of liquor has to be brought under control on a war footing under any circumstances or else our roads and highways will continue to be road to hell!
(The writer is a Vasco-
based Konkani author, freelance writer and
TV Anchor)