JULIO D’SILVA
julio@herald-goa.com
Getting a vehicle passed by the Road Transport Authority or for that matter getting a driving licence in Margao is an ordeal not only to the applicant or the official who has to either check the vehicle or conduct the test but even for a by-stander because the conditions in which these works are done is pathetic to say the least, feel the applicants and the officials.
What is worse is that there appears to be no solution to this problem that has been persisting for so many years says an applicant. It will take at least another minimum three years at the best before a solution is found in the form of a driving track that is proposed to be set up at Ponda, says an official.
Presently, if anybody applies for a driving test, the applicant has to report a little beyond the Konkan Railway Quarters along the road leading to the District Library. The RTO official then comes and begins taking the test.
One half of the road leading to the District Library is blocked to conduct the test and only half the road is available for regular motorists. Besides, the tension of having to clear the test, the applicant also suffers the mortification of answering the test on a regular road where there are other motorists coming and going.
Usually half the road is blocked for the entire morning session as on an average there are 40 applicants for licence who have to be tested and of these nearly 15 are for two-wheeler licences. “On one hand is the tension of the driving test and then this problem of vehicles passing by; it is really very stressful,” said a young girl who had come for a two-wheeler test.
Those who have applied for passing their vehicles are in no better condition, says another applicant. They have to go with their vehicles on the road leading from the Goa Bhagayatdar Society at Arlem to the Arlem junction and once again the vehicles are parked along one side of the road reducing the road to half.
Incidentally, this is a major road with many vehicles plying on it and it is quite harrowing at times not only for the applicant but even the RTO officials to go to the vehicle that needs to be checked. On an average 35 to 40 vehicles are brought every day for passing at this place.
Samuel Gomes, a student of Don Bosco College of Engineering using this road, says it is quite risky for them as the road is reduced and they cannot be distracted even for a second. “We have to be very careful as we do not know when the next vehicle will come as half the road is occupied with all these vehicles parked,” he said.
However, Deputy Director of Transport Gary Azavedo pointed out that the department is in the process of setting up a driving track at Ponda on a PPP basis through a private party.
“We have around 86,000 sq mts of land next to the new Ponda bus stand where this track will be set up,” he said adding that the proposal is under active consideration is likely to get the government approval very shortly.
