At last…! The Government has taken a wise decision for using helmets for both the rider and the pillion rider only on National Highways. Though the National Highway is not upto the international standard, still the rules will be welcomed by the people for their own safety. It is now upto the government to retar the roads instead of just powdering the roads, so that roads remain pothole free, dust free throughout the year and make riding a pleasure.
M Srikantha Rao, Margao
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Be ware of Ebola
I call upon all my Goan brothers and sisters to be cautious and alert for Ebola, as we are approaching the tourist season, Exposition of St Francis Xavier, Feast and novenas, IFFI, which attracts lakhs of people from foreign countries specially Liberia, Siera Leon, Guinea. I presume that almost all of us know by now the symptoms of Ebola as we have read about the death of thousands of people and many infected by this disease in our daily newspapers. Those who are not aware of the danger of this disease may call or contact personally your family doctor, health service centres, hospitals to know how to prevent and protect yourself and be free from fear.
Luis Carlos Roncon, St Cruz
Women-driven taxis good
The launching of women-driven tourist taxis in Goa for women travellers is good news. Only time will tell if this service is a success. For the present, it must be admitted that it has many positives.
Being women, the drivers can be expected to dress neatly and not indulge in speeding. What is noteworthy, even praiseworthy, of the service is that the women drivers are groomed in basic etiquette, personal hygiene and public relations. Such training should also be given to all the drivers of taxis and auto rickshaws in Goa since many of them are woefully lacking in these qualities/requirements of service.
Further, all taxis and autos in Goa should be fitted with digital meters which give a printed bill at the end of the journey. Why not? How long will we have to wait to be relieved of overcharging and more importantly for an efficient and courteous service?
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Bane of bride bazaar
I was astonished to read in one of the magazine that woman are sold off to men. A woman was bartered for a cow and another was sold ten times. Are woman a social animals or domestic animals? Why are the authorities silent? Buying and selling of brides is a national shame. No civilised society should tolerate this, but most Indians, I presume, engage in bride purchasing or bride selling in some form or the other. Daughters are considered less valuable and treated like objects unlike sons. The practice of dowry is rampant in many states. I don’t understand why men behave in this manner. The match makers, who are also involved in the selling and buying of brides, have to be investigated and brought to book. Sadly, the things will remain same until we educate every girl child especially in rural areas to enable them to fight against all odds.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Stop this Sagar Khavach farce
Will the chief minister or his band of ministers explain as to why this Sagar Khavach is being executed on a daily basis? Notwithstanding that it was first implemented at the time of terror attack of 2011 in Bombay as a precautionary measure, it is irritating at present when after finishing your day at the office every evening, you try to move out of the city just to find yourself stuck in a rally of endless vehicles; and for what reasons? No one knows. Finally, you come to a place where the barricade is placed allowing only one vehicle at a time, with some police personnel passing their time on the mobile or a personal chat. Ask the personnel manning the barricade the reason for, blankly comes their answer, “amkam khobor nam, amkam korunk sanglam ami kortat” (we have no idea, we are doing as per the order) and in this process, you have to undergo an ordeal of 45 minutes to one hour to reach from ferry point Panjim to Panjim KTC bus stand which otherwise takes barely ten minutes. The ordeal does not end here. If you are carrying on your journey to Margao, it is again at the Cortalim bridge where the ordeal starts at Agassaim bypass taking another one hour till you reach the Cortalim bridge which may be barely 15 minutes otherwise.
Francis J Xavier, Margao
