Pratik Parab
pratik@herald-goa.com
The trouble of private buses and their audacity not to change has been causing troubles for the common man of Margao for decades now. The troubles have increased recently as the buses now have no control over halting on the roads to take on board or alight passengers.
A private bus travelling on Aquem, Davorlim, Borda or Navelim routes has been doing stops every 100 metres and there is no one to question them. In the tourist season the problem has reached its peak and arguments, abuses and road rage is a common site on these roads nowadays.
Roads of commercial towns are as important as the blood vessels in the human body. So is the public and vehicular transport system. While the blood gives life, the vessels are the medium of survival. Incidentally the medium of survival of the Margao town, which is the public transport system, is presently in the worst clogged condition ever.
The District Collector when questioned on this issue in the past had said that except for two bus stops in Margao, the “rest stops are illegal.” The private buses in the town have been the centre of trouble for all the commuters and traffic for a long time now. The violations have just increased nowadays. The Road Transport Office flying squads, who are at times are seen violating rules themselves, have been turning a Nelson’s eye to all the violations.
The Private Bus owners Association has given a written demand to take action against the erring buses. “If the RTO itself is not ready to act then there is little we can to do change the situation,” said Felix Fernandes, Private Bus Owners Association President of Margao, Quepem, Curchorem and Sanguem.
Sanjiv Raiturkar, an RTI activist who has been following up this issue for quite some time now, told Herald that all the bus stops of Margao and vicinity areas are illegal.
Looking around the town one can see buses stopping and allowing passengers to board practically every 100 or 150 metres. These illegal stops have not only caused hardships for passengers whose journey is delayed but also created traffic jams.
“The halting of buses like the ones near Vishant, near SBI Bank Margao, near Jyoti Plaza hotel, near Bank of Baroda and many more are blatantly illegal. The RTO is fully responsible for this problem and we warn that if they don’t solve the problem soon, not us, but people themselves will ransack their offices and demand answers,” said Raiturkar.
The bus drivers have made tailor-made bus stops and now converted them into bus stands. The most recent violation is one opposite Pandava Chapel where the buses instead of picking passengers on the road have begun entering the one way, going right up till the Fire station, blocking half the lane and picking up passengers.
The Assistant Director of Transport, Pralhad Dessai, has a different story to tell though. When some activists had met him complaining regarding the violations he had promised that he will be issuing endorsements to the buses and will suspend licences if the violator gets three endorsements. Pralhad now says, “We have been issuing challans for violations but for endorsements the buses go off road without licences and the problem is that there is no replacement for that route in that eventuality,” he said.
The Deputy Collector of Salcete, who is also the head of the Transport Authority Committee, Ajit Panchawadkar, while speaking on the public transport issue has come down heavily on all the enforcement authorities. “The traffic cell and the Road Transport office and Assistant Director of Transport have failed to keep the traffic problems of Margao at bay. Vehicles are being parked on the roads creating problems for traffic and buses are stopping indefinitely, wrongly, creating additional problems to the commuters” told Deputy Collector Ajit. “The traffic cell and RTO has failed miserably to curb the problems” he said.
The activists of Margao, who have demanded clearcut representation of bus stops and stands through planning, have termed the arrangements in Margao as worst than any small town. The activists have warned of stern action and public protests if needed to stop the problems.
