PANJIM: Taking a dig at Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho for his remark putting the onus of inebriated customers on bar owners, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah on Wednesday said the minister should get the taxi and transport facilities organised first.

It may be recalled that Transport Minister had stated that the Department of Transport will introduce a new norm in Goa wherein owners of bars and restaurants will not allow their customers to drive back home after drinking.

He had said that they will have to ensure they take a taxi. This will be their responsibility once the GoaMiles App taxi service is launched.

Shah further said, “Today if there was proper public transport late evening, people would not drink and drive. We can’t always talk about taxis and tourists, locals too use taxis.”

He said the department and minister should improve the transport system first and have proper facilities.

Meanwhile, the All Goa Bar & Restaurant Owners Association also ridiculed the Transport Minister’s statement putting the onus of inebriated persons on bar owners and demanded a heightened campaign against drunken driving.

Association president Michael Carrasco said, “It is impossible to take home drunk patrons from their bars. Instead, the minister should put a proper road infrastructure in place. The state government should beef up its campaign against drunk driving. There is no public transport available in Goa after 8 pm.”

Adv Moses Pinto, author of the book ‘Practice Traffic Yoga’ welcomed the minister’s statement but with certain reservations.

He said, “This statement will create awareness. However, until there is an alcohol analysis system on board the vehicle there is no way to stop someone from driving under the influence of alcohol. The bar owner is not equipped with checking and deciding how drunk a particular person is. It shouldn’t be allowed too. This is the duty of the highway patrol team to curb drunk driving.”