THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Two others in the ambulance were injured. Reports indicate that the front portion of the ambulance was completely smashed and that it was a quarter of an hour before another ambulance could reach the spot to shift the injured. The tragic accident forces a discussion on road safety in Goa and also road conditions. The number of accidents is rising in the State and there is more than one reason for them.
First, all emergency vehicles – ambulances, fire vehicles – have the right of way as in a crisis any small delay can be fatal, for that reason they go with sirens blaring to announce that they are coming. That is what Goa’s motorists have to understand and have to allow these vehicles to overtake. It is often seen on the roads that while the conscientious vehicle drivers will move to the side of the road and allow the ambulance and fire fighting vehicles to pass on, there are others who will attempt to follow the ambulance as if the emergency vehicle is creating a corridor for them to drive on. This is a dangerous practice and can lead to accidents. Over a year ago there was an incident where a video had surfaced on social media of a car deliberately obstructing an ambulance. Police then traced the owner of the car by the registration and it was found that the car was being driven by a minor.
Goa’s roads are turning killers, with motorists, riders and commuters no longer safe. Statistics released by the government will put the total accidents a month at close to 300 with between 20 to 28 deaths in a 30-day period. But while the person behind the wheel is often held responsible for the accident, in Goa at the present time one has to look at the condition of the potholed roads. In a recent report the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways had said that 13 of the accidents in Goa are due to the condition of the roads. As per the report, 3,440 road accidents that took place in Goa in 2019, 1,160 occurred because of the type of road, leading to 66 deaths.
That report focused more on road engineering, the blind curves in particular, than the potholes. The traffic cell of the Goa Police is aware of such black spots – places or areas that are prone to accidents – and some years ago had identified and been monitoring these. Again in June this year, the cell was working on eliminating 21 such spots in North Goa that had been listed by the Public Works Department. Eliminating the black spots will help for a safer drive on the roads, but Goa’s roads also need to have a smoother surface. Currently, the roads are full of craters and driving on them is akin to going on almost a cross country expedition.
The Chief Minister has given a November 1 deadline for repairing every pothole on the road. That deadline is just ten days away, and the craters on the road are far from repaired. They still exist and the Public Works Department will have to race against time to meet that date. To make Goa’s roads safer, they have to be constructed with quality materials and under strict supervision by the government officials. This obviously is not done as otherwise the roads would not have developed potholes so quickly. If Goa wants to improve its accident statistics, it will depend on the motorists to drive safely and on the government to provide safe roads. You can’t always blame the driver for negligent driving.
