The death in a road accident of the elderly couple who had just arrived back in Goa is so very tragic. The battle against road accidents has to be an all out sustained one. The galloping number of road accidents being witnessed in Goa is a matter of grave concern. There has to be a concerted effort to ensure that precious lives are not lost.
Drunken driving and reckless over speeding are a cause of most accidents. However, the poor condition of our roads and lack of proper road engineering are very often a major contributory factor to many accidents. There is no excuse for potholes due to corruption and poor workmanship. Humps in the road disguised as sleeping policemen with little or no paint or roads with little or no road markings is unacceptable and adds to the fatalities on our roads. There should be zero tolerance to drunken driving, reckless driving and over speeding. The Chief Minister, Ministers and officials should lead by example by strictly following the speed limits.
It is horrifying to also see young school students riding two wheelers like joy riders, which should only be allowed if they are competent enough and old enough to ride. Parents must take responsibility to ensure that their children are licensed to ride these two wheelers responsibly and safely.
Road safety is the most basic task of all. Each and every one of us. Road users, Government and the Police who are entrusted with the powers to ensure that the law is upheld and respected and every action taken to deter and punish any law breakers. Our personal safety and life matters and is worth the sacrifice and investment to mitigate such fatal risks. Prevention is better than cure!
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s advice that people should not have a Bar at home and instead should set up a library is amusing. Had he inculcated the habit of reading, his English skills would have been up to the mark, and he would have been enriched with wisdom instead of ending up being a laughingstock. He and his Ministers should practice what they preach so they can become more coherent and easily understood and relate to the public with purpose, honesty, and fact. As he confuses the need and purpose of a Bar and a library that bear no relationship to each other shows that he needs to read the benefits of both. Many people may be content to have and enjoy the benefits of both. It is surprising that he is very supportive of having casinos instead of converting the offshore and onshore dens of iniquity into public libraries to benefit the many, not just the few.
