A day after Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Shripad Naik, chaired a meeting of the reconstituted North Goa District Road Safety Committee, and called on departments to take responsibility to reduce the number of accidents, two youngsters were killed in a hit-and-run incident at Usgao. The duo was riding on a two-wheeler and hit another vehicle that was parked by the road. This was a stark reminder that Goa’s roads are not safe, not only because of the heavy and indisciplined traffic, but also because of the road conditions. It was the latter that the Union Minister took up at the meeting.
Though the accident at Usgao, was of a different nature, the Minister’s take on road conditions is very important. He wants the roads to be safer, as he emphasised that there are a number of accidents, and also many reasons for the mishaps. He was clear that potholes invite accidents, and asked that these be repaired immediately, as it would reduce accidents. He also pointed out to drunken driving that leads to accidents. But, the State departments should not require the Union Minister to tell them to repair the potholes on the roads. Road repairs should be part of the procedure that is duly undertaken, especially at the end of the monsoon, as the tramac surfaces take a beating annually due to the rains.
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Less than two months ago, in this column we had impressed upon the government that the people have the right to motorable roads, pointing out that ‘where there used to be roads, there are potholes, there are deep ruts, there is loose mud and stones where once there used to be a tarmaced surface’. Apparently, going by the Union Minister’s call, little has been done to make the roads motorable and safer. But mere repairs will not help. The government department’s have to ensure that the work undertaken by the contractors meets the standards, so that the patchwork does not wash off with just a little rain.
Prevention of accidents should be the aim of the government. All decision making and planning of road safety regulations and road engineering should focus on this. This is primarily important as the accident statistics are worrying. As per available data, the highest number of accidents occur on highways and tourism spots. This is borne out by the numbers of deaths on the raod reported which are higher in and around police station jurisdictions which have major highways, heavy, fast-moving traffic and touristic traffic. The State has set a target of reducing road accidents by 50 per cent within the next year. This year has been a better year on the roads, as the lockdown arising due to the pandemic saw fewer vehicles on the roads, thereby reducing accidents. In the last 10 months, there have been 178 deaths on the road, while in the entire previous year it was 297.
Accidents on highway in Goa could also be due to the small size of the State and the numerous highly populated villages along the highway. The villages has led to a number of roads, and even lanes opening on the highway, with vehicles emerging onto the heavy traffic of highways. While the road planners will have to take that decision, motorists too have a esponsibility to ensure their own safety. The wearing of helmets on two-wheelers, seatbelts in four-wheelers, maintaining safe distance between vehicles, maintaining speed limits and safe overtaking are the duties of the person behind the wheel or on the two-wheeler. Accidents can be reduced, if both – the authorities and the motorists – take adequate measures to ensure safety measures.
