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2006 * * * Y E A R * * * O F * * * T H E * * * S E N I O R
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Goa Sudharop Annual Awards on November 20, 2006 @ Mandovi Hotel @ 4:30pm
Chief Guest: Dr. Asha Vishwanath Sawardekar
A series of essays as a tribute to Goan Seniors can be found at:
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=524
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Many years back, even before we got good roads in most parts of Goa, a
foreigner told me we had the best transport system in the world. He could go
from anywhere to the remotest corner of Goa economically. However he added
that is, if the passenger overlooked overcrowding, dilapidated vehicles,
bumpy rides with some breakdowns and no concept of time! Goa is also one of
the few places in India, where public transport is run by private operators
who are a law unto themselves. No government has been able to get them into
uniform, to issue tickets, stop at scheduled stops, avoid overcrowding and
enforce passenger comfort and safety norms. The transport lobby is strong
and we have the ridiculous scheme of public vehicles permitted to ply
without Meters, Taxis demanding travel Agents and Resorts/Hotels
compulsorily use their vehicles. People are permitted, with government
blessings, to be exploited by this section of society! Our media , specially
Press, generally only highlights Politicians speak and even at seminars,
the objections and views of the other speakers on the panel, leave alone the
public find no mention!
I think we need a "Danda" to make ourselves disciplined on the roads. With
new vehicles increasing by leaps and bounds, driving schools and RTO dishing
out licenses to incompetent drivers, traffic police hopelessly out of date/
claiming shortage of staff , scarce traffic control infrastructure, getting
onto the Goa roads is a nightmare for drivers and pedestrians, especially at
night! Two wheelers zoom in-between bumper to bumper traffic, overtaking
from the left, rules of the road followed in breach, and everyone is in a
mighty hurry. To add to this, VIP and government vehicles break rules with
impunity, politicians and vested interests call the shots. All attempts to
regulate flow of traffic in major towns have come to naught. / been made
worse!
Take Panaji traffic scheme. In this age of computers, power point
presentation possible and inspite of all/ detailed information and
stastics regarding number of vehicles entering/leaving Panaji collected,
the schemes were changed umpteen times confusing everybody. To the disgust
of the SP Traffic, and public, the scheme is changed once again, just to
satisfy politicians with shopkeepers /vested interests. On Monday 13 Nov (a
few days back) at 1300 hours, it took me around 40 minutes to cover the
small distance up the slope of quarter kilometer from the Panaji Church
square, to down same slope, to Honda show room. No traffic or any police in
sight, bumper to bumper, school buses, tempos, two wheelers ,and whilst
cars are parked illegally on this narrow road. The amount of pollution,
waste of fuel, road rage generated, damage to vehicles, it appears is no
concern to any of the authorities. And now for IFFY, our RULERS will close
major roads/ deny access and make the local peoples lives absolutely
miserable in the name of security and pleasure . At what cost?!
Instead of Bye passes, traffic lights, underground or overhead bridges at
death trap junctions, we have speedbreakers/rumblers of no specification so
damage to spine and shock absorbers are imminent. The audio speakers in my
car dickey jumped up and broke while carefully negotiating these road blocks
on the highway. Then comes parking problems. It is difficult to find a slot
even for two wheelers. The Police and municipal authorities gleefully lift
vehicles and collect fines. There is no proper planning by competent
professionals without interference from politicians with no vision. The TCP
it appears is merely there for land grab and making Goa a builder's
paradise. No provision is made for accompanying water, electricity,
sanitation, drainage, garbage disposal capacity, parking and other
infrastructure like access roads with pedestrian walks, jogger's parks and
so on, BEFORE the building comes up! Forget any sensible future
considerations being built in/ catered for.
The resulting intolerable mess can be seen in Delhi, where industries had to
be shut down, vehicle pollution minimized by CNG use, and now demolition /
sealing of illegal structures/ shops in residential areas etc. All this had
to be done by the courts, resisting compromises proposed by the government
due populist measures and corruption! It is shameful that the government is
incapable of planning and implementing the laws, whilst people have to rely
on the courts for something that is the job of the Executive and law
enforcement agencies that themselves try to circumvent the law. We have to
be able to go back to basics, to have any hopes of getting out of this
traffic nightmare. Planning with vision, keeping the requirements of the
common man (specially handicapped people, senior citizens and children) in
view, education in schools, colleges and for all public transport personnel.
Strict enforcement of traffic rules with no interference from self serving
politicians. Regulation of driving schools and issue/ confiscation of
driving liscences.Short term and long term planning by competent
professionals. And last but not least, a government that knows how to
govern.
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