People living along the Baga-Calangute-Candolim beach stretch have to put up with increasing drunken driving and nuisance caused by tourists late in the night and early in the mornings. The solution is not easy to come by, because the beach stretch is a must visit tourist hotspot.
Availability of cheap liquor and bikes on hire are some of the main attractions of the Goa tourism industry. It is a fact that nine out of ten tourists driving vehicles past midnight are under the influence of alcohol. It is not feasible to book all such drunk drivers unless a viable transport system is available. The available taxis are too few and too expensive. There is no facility of radio cabs that can be summomed anytime and anywhere as in Mumbai.
Under the existing circumstances some relief to the local people may be provided by plying buses from these tourist hotspots to Panjim, Mapusa and Margao all through the night. Simultaneously the authorities may start cracking down on drunk driving by first booking those driving in a heavily intoxicated state.
Prof Robert Castellino, Calangute
