As if the condition of some of Goa’s roads was not bad enough, the prevalent road sense of most motorists is far worse. Scant concern for signage and signals, and blatant flouting of rules – despite traffic fines having risen pretty steeply – are the order of the day. These behaviours ultimately result in accidents, some so severe that lives are lost, but precious little seems to deter reckless riders and drivers from continuing to commute dangerously.
It is not unusual to see pedestrians at zebra crossings wary of taking the first step across for the fear of being knocked down by motorists, most of whom do not respect the pedestrians’ right of way at such crossings. Such behaviour may go unnoticed or unpunished in Goa, but in several places across the world, the authorities come down heavily on motorists ignoring zebra crossings, with some even suspending the violators’ driving licences.
Traffic signals are routinely disobeyed too, as even a minute’s patience seems to elude motorists in the State. This is particularly true of two-wheeler riders, who prefer to just zip past a red light and weave through oncoming traffic at the risk of being run over or causing a pile-up. Then there are others who test their luck by attempting to zoom through an amber light, which is an indicator to reduce speed. “Nothing will happen, no one’s going to get caught,” is usually the refrain if one is chided by a co-passenger or a passer-by. And in Goa, nothing really does happen unless the violator is intercepted by traffic cops or gets caught in an accident of his/her own doing.
While it is unrealistic to have police physically present at every traffic signal in the State, what the government can do it lean more on artificial intelligence to make sure every wrongdoer is brought to book. In many Middle East nations, for example, sensors installed under the road tarmac at crucial areas are connected to high-resolution, all-weather, tamper-proof cameras that are placed on the medians. This means that once a traffic signal is flouted or a speed limit is breached, the sensors are immediately activated and the cameras take a snapshot of the errant vehicle, number plate and all. If fines are not paid within the stipulated period, the vehicle’s annual registration is not renewed. Worse still, depending on the gravity of the violations, black points are recorded against one’s driving licence. Once a particular number of black points are reached, the licence is altogether revoked, which means that the person will neither be able to ride or drive again nor re-apply for a licence.
Interestingly, many Goans working or living in these countries are aware of how stringent the traffic rules are there, and follow them to the T. But once they return to their homeland, sensitisation of the rules in force are literally thrown out the window, as they resort to riding without helmets, driving without seatbelts, overtaking from the wrong side, jumping traffic signals and even trying to flee when flagged down by cops.
Tourists, on the other hand, present a whole different set of issues. Most prefer to travel on two-wheelers, so it has become more the norm than the exception to see several rental scooters riding in tandem on narrow roads just so one rider can chat with the others as they wander across the State, obstructing traffic in the bargain. Then there are some that suddenly halt mid-travel just because the pin on Google Maps instructed them to stop right there…oncoming traffic and busy road be damned. Speeding is yet another problem, as most visitors – thrilled by the usually traffic-free interior roads that Goa has to offer – let their throttles do the talking as they whizz past with gay abandon. What happens next is history.
