What is this Goa model for traffic violators that Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho is talking about? Is this a backdoor pass for those engaged in road infringements? The amended Motor Vehicle Act is a cause for concern only for traffic offenders, not for others. And there is no reason why Goa should ease off fines like Gujarat and Uttarakhand. Instead, Goa should be focused on areas which it is failing in miserably, like better roads and clean enforcement and avoid tinkering with the law.
Heavy fines will certainly force reckless motorists into rethinking violations since there is a heavy price to pay, and if Goa decides to soften this blow, it is only going to be a partner in crime. There is no reason why violators should be shown leniency. There are lakhs of cautious and sensible motorists who value their lives as much as they respect others. For them, the quantum of fine is never a worry because they are within the parameters of law. Those endangering the lives of others by over-speeding, dangerous driving, drunken driving and using cell phones while behind the wheel cannot be given the easy way out and must face the brunt. These offences have to be non-negotiable since besides risking one’s own life, the violator is also posing danger to others.
But does the State have the will to take on drunken driving? The new amendment prescribes Rs 10,000 and/or imprisonment. Given the fact that Goa is a tourist destination known for its free flow of booze, can the State go full throttle on this violation? Mind you, a mere 0.05% or 30mg alcohol in a 100 ml blood sample is enough to book anyone under this offence. That means driving even under the influence of a small peg of whiskey is enough to get one booked.
Going by past records, the State has always gone soft when it came to liquor. A report on how road-side bars are having a bad influence on motorists has long gathered dust at the Transport Department. The government had gone out of its way to protect the liquor lobby against the Supreme Court verdict against bars along highways in 2017. There could be a fear that the hefty fine could dampen the mood of a major chunk of desi tourists who are flocking here to quench their thirst of booze. Successive drunken driving drives undertaken by traffic police till now have been patchy without any consistency. If this is all about road safety, it is to be seen how seriously the enforcement goes about its job once the new law comes into force.
But before that, there are questions on road safety that need to be answered by the Public Works Department. Roads are in their worst state, at times inflicting grievous injuries and trauma on motorists. Former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has ridiculed the government’s move of delaying the implementation arguing that the Act has provisions to fine engineers, consultants and contractors for poor quality of road works. But why has Dhavalikar not pulled up a single engineer or a contractor for the pathetic condition of road works during his tenure? Blaming the potholes on heavy rains is the lamest of excuses that anyone can offer, because these roads have been hot-mixed even twice a year.
It’s time to think of safety of citizens first.
