Goa must not miss the bus Nowadays, with the bridge construction works underway, travel from the capital city to Margao and vice versa has become a nightmarish experience with a simple trip of 40 minutes taking anywhere between two to three hours. On other routes also, travel has become tedious. While the problems along the Panjim - Margao route may be temporarily sorted out, what Goa needs at this hour is a permanent solution to these everyday problems.
Ask anyone what travel along the routes of Goa used to be before. A charming, serene, peaceful and heavenly experience, they will tell you. Now it is a headache. Why are the roads so congested now? Why do so many people prefer to take their cars out, is it because of luxury or necessity? With an efficient public mobility plan either missing or unpredictable or highly inconvenient, one can't blame the public for using their own vehicles. Goa is a tourist State and thousands visit it every year but the Government has sadly not applied its mind to sort out these growing problems. The missing public mobility system means we are still several years behind and may soon reach a point of no return. Approximately fifteen lakhs is the number of vehicles which are presently on the roads in Goa and the figures keep increasing. These are staggering numbers and by far the highest in the Country in terms of proportion to population. Statistics are very alarming and giving rise to various traffic related problems. Goa is also proportionally the highest in terms of numbers of road accidents. The Government's policy to cater to particular lobbies is costing the State heavily. So what must be done? For once, do not cater to vote-bank politics and think about the people and their convenience. There must be no two ways about this. What Goa needs to implement is a good public transportation system. A network of local buses or trains, intra city routes, a proper fleet of taxis and rickshaws, make better use of waterways, etc etc. If there is one good bus on the roads, there will be at least 15 cars off it. This is a simple practical calculation. Technology is also at your fingertips now. Create a good informative app which can give you various information like the bus stops or trains around you, their frequency and timings, etc etc. Government must privatise these sectors and bring convenience to the people. Strong and decisive leadership is required at this juncture. Goa has been an attractive tourist destination to the World. The Government must not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Maintaining the status quo is not the solution. The world is progressing rapidly. Goa must not miss the bus. Warm regards Sandeep Heble