As road accidents have increased and thousands of two-wheeler riders say goodbye to this planet prematurely every year, the Union Ministry steeply raised the fines to control traffic indiscipline on roads.
But several State governments resisted, the amended Motor Vehicles Act, perhaps, because the heavy fines would put a heavy burden on the vehicle owners or, may be, they want their voters to move like wind blowing freely, even by breaking traffic rules; and if caught, paying a pittance as penalty.
This refusal to accept the Motor Vehicle Act amendment made Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to say this: “I am surprised that people are protesting against a law that has been created in national interest. If one obeys the traffic rules, one shouldn’t have to worry about heavy fines.”
Accidents happen because The Great Goan riders dominate Goan roads and charm our tourists with their matchless style of riding; a few of them I shall mention here.
i) Two-wheeler ‘Babus’ think that it is beyond their dignity to obey traffic rules, so, they go the wrong way down the one way street.
ii). ‘The Great Goan Two-wheeler ‘Patrao’ (‘dono de casa’) tries to show off to make an impression on male and females on the footpath; they persistently honk till honking reaches ear-splitting crescendo and then zoom like a rocket six feet above the ground, with or without their helmet.
iii). In order to make the best use of space, these two-wheeler bosses, with their strange skill, turn in any direction, by squeezing through the narrowest available space by twisting and turning to avoid obstructions. These ‘Bosses’ treat pedestrian on the road, as invaders of their personal domain (motorway) and often, dash and knock them down.
iv). The two wheeler rider ‘Mamus’ drive, like in a circus, by taking junior ‘Mamu’ along with his Great Indian ‘Mami’ carrying little baby.
5. The ‘Mann ki baat’ from men of good will is to support the “steeply raised fines to control traffic indiscipline as the fines are for life security.
6. As most of the two-wheelers, are speed maniacs and rowdies of brute force who make wrong choices and suddenly take different track which brings many, on the road, very near to ‘calls of death’; many say, “There can be no discipline without punishment.” Therefore, brave and tender hearts that have feelings towards trembling pedestrians, on death trap roads, state: “If we do not check traffic indiscipline with hefty fines, then accidents galore will check our movement on roads.
7. It is of no use to have ‘Road Safety Week’ every year, if roads are not in good condition but are left with pot-holes. Secondly, what is the use of having ‘Road Safety Week’ every year when we do not catch future two-wheelers — “Babus, Patraos, Bosses” in school by introducing a subject in educational institutions to teach road courtesies to these future road users; but if that is done, even school dropouts may have some drops of road regulation in their mind. If, such necessary precautions are not taken, our children will be born in traffic indiscipline, live with traffic chaos and end their days in traffic mess.
