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Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service
& circulated by Goa Civic & Consumer Action Network
(GOA CAN)<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ph:2252660
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Accident Prone Roads
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We are delighted that at long last the helmet rule is being enforced.
But we are disheartened that the government and specifically the
Public Works Department has not taken any action to make the roads
safer. Several years ago, the government had commissioned the National
Road Research Institute to study and identify accident prone spots
along the highways in the State. The institute had identified over
two hundred spots of which seventy were deemed extremely dangerous.
The institute had pointed out that geometrics of the road at these
accident prone spots have to be urgently realigned to prevent repeated
isasters.
The institute had also highlighted various obstacles to visibility.
These included structures ranging from ghaddas to places of worship.
Some of which were located right in the centre of the highways.
It had also pointed out that trees at some spots also obstructed
the vision of riders of vehicles using the roads.
We recall that Herald had serialised the entire report. But apparently,
not much action has been taken on the report, going by the statement
of the Superintendent of Police, Traffic, that there were still several spots
on the highway which were extremely dangerous and accident prone.
The traffic police and the Public Works Department very seldom bother
even to put up boards at these accident prone spots. Presumably because
it would only expose their continuing callousness. But many of these spots
are tragically commemorated by roadside crosses that have come up
following the death of a victim. It is quite another matter that full-fledged
churches and chapels have come up at some of these spots.
The Public Works Department and other concerned agencies have been
unable or unwilling to remove the fatal encroachments primarily due to
political pressures. They dare not touch the religious structures for fear
of offending people. In fact, over the years many more religious structures,
which are major traffic hazards, have sprung up.
A cross at the Miramar circle has become virtually a shrine.
And along side the circle, the new temple which was built some years ago,
keeps on expanding without any let or hinderance. We are certain that
both structures the cross and the temple are illegal. Similarly,
at the beginning of road, adjacent to the parade ground at Campal,
there is a shrine literally in the middle of the road.
On the CHOGM road at Candolim, there is shop right at the center
of the road again. There is an ongoing controversy over the multi-storeyed
structure coming up at a busy junction on the Arpora road. All along the
highway there are ghaddas which have encroached on the roads.
The encroachments and the illegal structures on the highways are bad enough.
The risk to life and limb in the narrow village roads is even higher. Many
of the extremely narrow roads on the high traffic density northern coastal
belts
are heavily encroached upon. In the over-whelming majority of the cases,
the authorities are unable and unwilling to act because those who have put up
these illegal structures have political patronage.
Some time ago the Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco organized
for the demolition of several encroachments on the road to Colva. While
illegal
structures of Mickky's political rivals were demolished those of his own
supporters remained un-touched. The already miserable and hazardous
conditions of the roads are aggravated by the constant digging that goes on.
The narrow roads become even more constricted because of the continuing
excavations. During the last week the narrow, little roads around the St. Tome
Chapel have been dug up not at the sides but right in the middle for laying
water pipelines. These roads were re-surfaced just a couple of months ago.
The digging always is done consecutively and not simultaneously by the
civic body, the Public Works Department, the Electricity Department and
the public and private telecommunication companies.
The helmet will minimize fatalities in roads accidents as the head is the most
vulnerable part of the anatomy. But as critics of the helmet have persisted in
pointing out, it will do nothing to prevent broken limbs. The making of
helmets
compulsory by itself will not minimise the number of accidents.
Goans probably need to wear whole body armour to escape injury.
There is an urgent need to remove the perils on the roads - the biggest of
them
being the illegal structures including the shrines.
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Editorial in HERALD 16/1/03 page 6
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GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE
Documentation + Education + Solidarity
11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507
Tel: 2252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
website: www.goadesc.org
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Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy
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