Goa's road carnage, more views... By Valmiki Faleiro
We sampled some views from Goans worldwide, on Goa's grave road scene, last week. Let's check out some more today, before moving on to other aspects of the complex problem from next week ... night driving, two-wheelers, driving schools, traffic enforcement, etc. (These e-mail reproductions are abridged for reason of space.) Melinda Coutinho Powell, Goa: "What saddens me most is the number of two wheeler youngsters dying, almost daily. Traffic education must begin in schools and colleges. When I began to drive here (after Mumbai), I was horrified. Most drivers merely know to manoeuvre the vehicle; rules of the road are unheard of. To survive, one must be proactive and alert for violations of every known driving rule. The talking friend syndrome (two bikers stop to chat in the middle of moving traffic), nod of the head (meaning you go first), cattle on streets, overtaking from left, roundabout chaos, and more. Highways, where speeding cars come hurtling at you, are scary. You must cope. Be mobile. Retaining one's sanity while driving here is difficult. My kids have picked up the stream of invectives I hurl on bad drivers. Mario Goveia, USA: I highly recommend Melinda's approach as an effective method of reducing stress and maintaining sanity, which has the side benefit of providing the kids with a *home education* in the essentials of inter- vehicular communications in Goa:-)) Nothing like hearing it from Mom. She's human too. However, in Mumbai, one sees plenty of fender benders but few fatalities. Goa, with a lower traffic density, allows the same maniacal attitude get to lethal speeds, leading to fatalities. Elisabeth Carvalho, USA: Today's headline screams yet another death. A 7-year girl has been snatched from her family. A senseless death, an irreparable loss. Being a mother, my stomach ties up in knots everytime I read something like this. It could have been my daughter or brother or father. Seems like it's just the luck of the draw in Goa. The fact that Goans are an apathetic lot is self-evident. Anywhere else, people would be up in the streets organising rallies, protesting and demanding change. What does it take, Goa? Nasci Caldeira, Melbourne: So many people are dying, getting injured and even maimed on Goa's roads that I feel that in war-like manner, an Ordinance must be promulgated to remove all loopholes in the law and ensure compliance, at all times -- by drivers, pedestrians, and by the authorities like Traffic Police, Road Construction people, and above all the RTO. The war on this front must be won, before many more die due to non-compliance, or for no fault of theirs. News and other media players and journalists must join in, in this war on Road Terror. Television is the most powerful media; it should be made full use of, in getting the safety message across. So far, I notice that this medium has not been tapped into at all, to educate and or enforce. What a pity. John Eric Gomes, Porvorim: This is fallout of population growth, people's self- interest and rising aspirations, corruption, politicians perfecting the art of dividing people and the inability of government to enforce the law. *Speed* is the new mantra. Even a petrol variant calls itself Speed! We need speed- breakers on highways passing through now heavily populated areas. Elementary road rules are neither followed nor enforced. Few give way to traffic coming from the right, going uphill, slowing down at Zebra crossings, overtaking from left, not dipping headlights at night etc. Reminds me of Woody Allen, "Mankind is at the crossroads. One path leads to despair, the other to utter helplessness." Think positive, never too late. Martinho de Souza, Australia: "Carnage on Goa's roads is the reflection of a bigger problem: lack of respect for life. Today while the dead are treated like carcasses to be deposed of as soon as possible, the living, especially pedestrians are considered expendable. Since 1961, there is a lack of courtesy on Goan roads, in keeping with the loss of Portuguese culture and the Indianization of Goans in Goa. Dr. Gilbert Lawrence, USA: "Perhaps the author overlooked my post that had SOLUTIONS BY Goans and FOR Goans." Postscript: Sorry, doc, your mail must have gone like another life or limb on Goa's roads ... in a crash. Fortunately, this comp's, from where I write. Kindly do mail it to the HERALD Editor (editor@ heraldgoa.com) or to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remember, either way you surrender copyrights! PPS: Must pat the authorities for finally erecting four sets of speed breakers at the accident-prone stretch at Mungul, along the Margao-Colva road. Like the traffic slogan, *Better late than never.* These now make six speed-breakers on a 5-km. MDR (major district road.) So double *pat* their backsides for typical bullhead: about 27 lanes and village roads puncture this MDR -- and not one of them has a speed-breaker! Who'll ever tell these guys that holy cows like MDRs and National Highways shouldn't have speed breakers but that (in Goa's circumstances) feeder roads must? (ENDS) Read ALL of Valmiki's weekly columns at: http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=330 ============================================================================== The above article appeared in the April 30, 2006 edition of the Herald, Goa _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)
