PANAJI: About 5,000 accidents that take place in Goa each year, in which roughly 4,500 people get injured and approximately 300-350 people lose their lives.
Therefore, on an average, one person dies every day in Goa in road accidents, revealed data shared by the directorate of transport at the launch of the 10th Goa Road Safety Week on Monday.
Speaking at the occasion, transport minister Mauvin Godinho said that there will be an initiative to station designated drivers near bars to drop inebriated people home and thus avoid potential accidents.
“In the long term, we will bring about a legislation where it will be compulsory for all places near watering holes to have a driver stationed who can drop those that are drunk. We want tourists here and we want them to enjoy but they will have to follow traffic rules while they are here,” he said.
Appealing to the public to come forward to keep Goa safe from accidents, he urged them to follow safe driving techniques. While he acknowledged that potholes also contribute to accidents, he blamed the delayed monsoon withdrawal as a reason for not filling them up.
For the Road Safety Week, a special vehicle has been designed by the transport department to create awareness which will continue operating till October 31. This vehicle was launched from the Kadamba bus terminus in Panaji, which is in a dilapidated condition. “We have set aside Rs 1.7 crore to be tendered for the repair works which will take off in December,” he said.
Awareness will be spread across the state through street plays, film on screens and other means. Special chariots have been set up to convey the message that helmet, and head gears are utmost needed while riding two-wheelers.
