Maintains silence on poor design, condition of roads
PANAJI
With around 380 accidents in 52 days, which means the State witnessed over seven accidents each day; the government has pointed fingers at the indiscipline of riders/drivers as the main cause.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that drunken driving, non-compliance of traffic rules and blind overtaking are the three prime reasons for serious accidents. The government has however maintained silence on the poor design and maintenance of some of the roads.
“In comparison to other states, the proportion of vehicles per population is more in Goa. People should cooperate with our departments to reduce accidents, and follow traffic rules. Drunken driving, not following traffic rules and overtaking are the main
reasons behind these accidents,” Sawant said after chairing a cabinet meeting at Secretariat.
The State has been recording an increase in accidents, which have claimed at least 50 deaths so far this year.
The CM also said that the Traffic Cell, Transport and Public Works Departments are taking measures to reduce road accidents. “These three departments will work on short-term gain and long-term improvement to reduce road accidents,” he added.
Sawant, who was accompanied by Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, went on to add that in October 2022, the government organised a workshop for the general public wherein several aspects of road accidents and the ‘Road Safety Management Plan’ were discussed.
“We have taken several steps under the Motor Vehicle Act 1989. We are also working on the suggestions and consultations from the National Road Safety Board, National Road Safety Council, Transport Development Council, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 to reduce accidents,” he informed.
Ironically, just as the Chief Minister was briefing, the Kadamba Highway along the Old Goa service road witnessed a serious collision between two cars. Minutes later, a self-accident was reported at Quepem which seriously injured two occupants including the driver. They were rushed to the South Goa District hospital for medical attention.
