Bus bays across highways only after expansion: Sudin

PANJIM, JAN 3
Transport Department today said that they will have bus bays across the highways only after highway expansion is executed in the state.
“We have plans to construct bus bays on the highways so that the bus stops don’t pave hindrance to the traffic. But we can do it only after highway is expanded,” Transport Minister Ramkrishna Dhavlikar said.
The minister pointed out that there are several unauthorised bus stops across the National Highways which lead to traffic mess. “Hence widening of NH is a must…with the widening we would be in a better position to construct bus bays,” he added.
Dhavlikar urged people not to oppose to NH widening without any prior reason. “The problem is with alignment…people took NH widening in a negative way…there are positive sides,” he stated.
He was talking at the inaugural function of ‘Road Safety Week’ organised by the Directorate of Transport. The week flagged off with a theme, ‘Road Safety is a Mission, Not Intermission’.
The theme has been suggested by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and it hopes to drive home road safety issues.
The minister stressed on the urgency of road safety awareness among road users including pedestrians and school children.
“As the number of accidents amongst the youth is on rise, there is need to educate children about road safety measures right from the school level,” he said.
Earlier, GOACAN convenor Ronald Martins suggested various measures like improvement in public transport system, making optimum use of public transport routes, improvement in management of traffic systems, improving road infrastructure and undertaking road traffic safety awareness programmes in schools, as well at public forums.
He highly criticised public for creating unauthorised bus stops and lying idle the actual ones.
“Rather than waiting at the bus stops, people are always in a hurry, stand on the road to flag down buses, which then becomes a commonplace to either pick or drop passenger further delaying the entire journey,” he said.
Martins also pointed out to the number of vehicles on the road, which are increasing at a much faster pace than the State’s population. “We have hardly 280 traffic police to control over 8 lakh vehicles,” he stated.
He also requested government to make sure that maximum number of students avail the benefit of Road Petrol Safety Scheme, which is currently initiated in 31 schools covering 500 students.
“Traffic Warden Scheme also needs to be encouraged. The scheme needs to cover people within school staff or parent who will monitor the traffic in and around school areas,” he added saying that Road Safety and Traffic Management Committee needs to be formulated at village level, who will prepare traffic management plans for their locality.
Martins also demanded formation of State Road Safety Council and District Road Safety Council on immediate basis.
Transport Director Arun Desai, Deputy Director Ashok Bhosle, KTCL MD Venancio Furtado, private bus operators, taxi, motorcycle operators and school children were also present.