The North Goa Road Safety Council has sounded an alarm over the district's escalating accident rate, pinpointing a critical lack of accountability for failures in road design and maintenance. At a recent review meeting in Panaji, senior officials and activists highlighted that a key legal provision meant to hold engineers and contractors responsible has never been invoked, despite numerous fatal incidents.
Legal Provision Remains Dormant Despite Fatal Crashes
A major point of contention raised was the complete non-implementation of Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act. This section empowers authorities to take legal action against engineers, contractors, and officials found responsible for accidents caused by faults in road design or infrastructure. Activists expressed frustration that this powerful tool has remained unused.
Road safety activist Roland Martins cited a recent tragic example from Ponda, where a two-wheeler rider lost his life in a head-on collision directly linked to mismanaged roadworks. "Despite several fatal accidents, no cases were booked under this provision," Martins stated. He warned that enforcement agencies, including the traffic police, have failed to act, and this prolonged inaction could potentially attract scrutiny from higher judicial authorities.
Poor Traffic Management During Roadworks a Key Killer
The council's discussion detailed how poor traffic management during construction is a primary catalyst for serious accidents. Common but dangerous practices, such as allowing two-way traffic on temporarily designated one-way stretches without proper safeguards, were specifically flagged. These lapses create chaotic and high-risk conditions for motorists and pedestrians alike.
To address these systemic issues, the meeting stressed an urgent need for better inter-departmental coordination. The Public Works Department (PWD), the transport department, and the traffic police must work in a synchronized manner to plan and execute road projects safely, preventing the ad-hoc arrangements that lead to tragedies.
Council Proposes Time-Bound Grievance Redressal System
In a move aimed at streamlining public feedback and ensuring faster official responses, the council concluded that government agencies must establish a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism. This system would involve agencies like the directorate of panchayats and the PWD appointing dedicated nodal officers.
The proposed measures include providing the public with dedicated WhatsApp numbers and email IDs specifically for logging road safety complaints. This initiative is designed to simplify the process for citizens to report hazards like potholes, missing signage, or dangerous roadwork zones.
Roland Martins emphasized that the overarching goal of these discussions is to improve accountability, strengthen pedestrian safety, and ensure faster responses to road safety concerns across North Goa. The council's resolutions now await concrete action from the concerned departments to translate into safer roads for all.
