MARG is doing a good job as is IRTE (I do not know whether its contract has been extended beyond 31 July,2003) to promote safe roads. My comments are interspersed.
Miguel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Goa Desc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 > MARG seeks white paper on traffic situation in state > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- > The Movement for Amity towards Roads in Goa (MARG) has asked the > state government to publish a 'white paper' on traffic and transport situation > in the state during the last ten years.The MARG activists demanded that > the 'white paper' should include the number of accidents and deaths > occurred on the roads during this period. Miguel: Data on accidents is more often manipulated than correctly used. I am sure that data for fatal accidents will show that reckless/drunken driving is reponsible for more deaths than want of helmets on two wheeler drivers. For this the data has to be seggregated into groups such as:A. Accidents involving 6 to 16 wheeler trucks/trailers with any other vehicle/object. B. Accidents involving 4 wheeler tempos/cars with other vehcles/objects. C.Accidents involving three wheelers and D.Accidents involving two wheelers with two wheelers/pedestrians/objects. The tabulation of number of drivers,riders,passengers,pillion riders and pedestrians killed should be seggregated. The data should then be presented as "Death per vehicle registered in Goa" for each type of vehicle. The results will be interesting to say the least. They have also asked the state government to publish policies to be adopted during the next ten years with respect to traffic and transport in state. Miguel: The design of road,specially the 'banking'on the turns,has to be part of the policy.The road to Mussourie is a pleasure to drive on.Hopefully,the BRDO will do a similar job of the Verna to Vasco road. Our PWD(Roads div.) engineers could get hands on training with the Army Unit now in Goa. Policies of the Town & Country Planning Dept.,PDAs,Corporations,Zilla Panchayats and Panchayats on set-back,road access,etc affect the traffic flow as much as Parking,One-Way and other measures notified by the District Collectors from time to time. Policies must be based on data.Data must be collected---not manipulated. Therein lies the hitch as everyone wants a quick fix! > The MARG has also urged upon the government to revert substantial part of the > revenue collected as a road fine by the police to the police traffic cell > to satisfy their genuine needs. Miguel: There is no need for this.All departments will want their revenues next.Education is free and hence there is no revenue. Who will fund such departments and from where? Ideally, the traffic police should be separated from the police force and made into a separate directorate in the same department( Just as the Directorate of Fisheries,Animal Husbandry and Agriculture can function as one Department,so can traffic,CID,ANC and regular police function as separate directorates in one Department) The technical staff ,e.g. the traffic cop or the CID investigator,should be non -transferable between the Directorates. It is not funny to see a CID inspector of yesterday issuing a challan for overspeeding today. It is a waste of trained manpower. It has also said that driver training institute which issues approval certificates to apprentices should be established in Goa. Miguel: This is specially important for heavy vehicle drivers who are illiterate and do not know the hazards(including to themselves) of the materials they carry. It is not funny that there is no two-wheeler driving school given the fact that there are more motorized two-wheelers(scooters/mopeds/mobikes) on the road in Goa than all the other vehicles (including cycles) put together !!! The craze of travelling to school on motorcycles ridden by underaged schoolboys and girls must be curbed by penalizing the person who has paid for the vehicle/given it to the minor rider. Treat it like mandatory rape.The minor is below the age of consent to mount a bike. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.502 / Virus Database: 300 - Release Date: 7/18/2003 ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
