CCTVs to monitor, identify violation of traffic rules

Team Herald

PANJIM:  With rash and negligent driving coupled with drunk driving being the major cause of road accidents and their related deaths, the Goa government is considering installing CCTV cameras to monitor, identify and control vehicles breaking traffic rules. As per government records, on average 250 road accidental deaths are reported annually in the coastal State. 

Addressing mediapersons on Monday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said bad road conditions alone cannot be considered a prime reason for increasing road accidents and fatalities. “As per the data available from 2012 to 2021, on average, 250 people die in road accidents, every year. Rash and negligent driving, and drunk driving are major factors contributing to road accidents. The data shows a majority of the accidents and deaths take place at night from 10 pm till early morning. These are due to drunk driving,” he said. 

“I agree the road conditions are bad but not all accidents are due to bad roads. One or two cases…we cannot hold bad roads accountable for accidents,” he added. Speaking further, Sawant said that citizens, as well as tourists, need to follow traffic rules as part of their own safety. 

The Chief Minister was speaking while distributing compensation to the road accident victims. A total of 23 families of the deceased were given compensation of Rs two lakh each. 

Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho informed about government plans to install CCTV cameras along the major traffic intersections and accident-prone zones. “We will rope in a private party for installing and monitoring CCTVs. The project would a public-private partnership (PPP) model,” he said adding that the proposal has been cleared by the Road Safety Council. 

Godinho said that cameras would be installed to monitor, identify and control vehicles breaking traffic rules even at night time. He also said that the public works department (PWD) has undertaken a survey of roads across the State to identify the requirement of signages, diversions and other traffic safety aspects. 

“We would be soon starting the process to install signages. We will take technical help from PWD as we don’t have the expertise,” he said. 

The minister informed that to date total of 232 traffic accident victim families have got compensation to the tune of Rs 4 crore. He said that the government has now granted a relaxation of one year, as against six months, for the families of the deceased to apply for compensation.