TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado on Wednesday in a stern message told traffic police and RTO officials to deal with traffic violators as per law and not to buckle down when they use the influence of ministers and MLAs to escape punishment.
On the contrary, the minister told the officials to double the fine and not to entertain calls from ministers and MLAs. The minister was speaking at the concluding day of the Road Safety Week at the Damodar College campus, here. “Even we (the MLAs) were fined for riding our bikes without helmets. The next day we rode with helmets to prove that nobody is above the law,” he said.
The Fisheries Minister appealed to the parents to take care that their underage children do not ride bikes when they are below 18 years.
In his address, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat underlined the need to make wearing of helmets compulsory. “I often advise people to take a round of the casualty in the GMC where people are admitted with broken hands, legs and head injuries. Then everyone will realise about the importance of wearing helmets,” he said.
He pointed out that strict enforcement of traffic rules will help in enforcing traffic discipline, while laying stress on education and awareness on road safety.
Director of Transport, Arun Desai said that the exercise of road safety weeks have paid dividends with the accident rate coming down in the last two years despite a growth in the two-wheeler population. “Around 179 deaths of two-wheelers were reported in 2010 and the figure came down to 170 in 2011 despite an addition of 51,000 vehicles on the roads. The first six months of 2013 have reported only 68 deaths of two-wheelers, indicating that the figure has come down compared to the corresponding period last year,” he added.
GOACAN Co-ordinator Roland Martins and Deputy Transport Director, Sandeep Desai were amongst those who spoke on the occasion.
