PANJIM: The Goa Traffic Police are being trolled online, on various social media sites, for their behaviour towards tourists who tour the State on two-wheelers rented from various agents.
Thousands of visitors who arrive here complain of humiliation and harassment by the traffic police and once back home post their experiences online on the social media, giving a bad name to the State which is currently banking on domestic tourists to bolster the tourism arrival numbers.
With rented two-wheelers an effective mode of transport, many domestic travellers prefer this mode which, as it does not pinch their pocket and also give them the liberty to go wherever they want without having to pay waiting charges.
The inter-state discrepancies with the tourist have now begun spilling over to the neighbouring State. A traffic cop from Kudal in Maharashtra narrated his story to Herald about how he was stopped for a routine check up on the old Goa-Mumbai highway.
He said, “We never trouble Goa registered vehicles even if the violation is of some seriousness as we consider them as guests in the State.” He said that in Goa the traffic police, despite he identifying himself as a policeman and having entered a no entry road by mistake, would not listen to him.
He said the Goa Traffic cops not only fine tourists for violations but try to add other penalties to force tourists to pay a bribe which is 50 percent of the estimated fine which comes to around Rs 2000 to Rs 4500.
While neighbouring states value their guests, Goa being a tourist destination and having tourism as the backbone of its economy, is arrogant with tourists. A tourist from Hyderabad who often visits the State said that almost 90 percent of the tourists who rent scooters to travel in Goa pay a bribe or are harassed by traffic cops.
This correspondent, after paying a fine for breaking the speed limit on Juhu road at Mumbai, Maharashtra was told by the policeman, “We only fine you for the violations, we are not doing the way police are doing in your State. Go and see them how they are looting the people on the streets in daylight.”
A large number of Goans visit Belgum for shopping but hardly anyone will complaint about the police there as they are friendly with Goan travellers.
