Accident management
This is with reference to the news item ‘Spotted: 55 accident sites’ (The Goan Everyday’ , March 16). If we go by the number of road accidents on Goa roads reported every day in the newspapers , the number of accident sites will far exceed that of 55 as reported by the traffic police .The ground reality is, as of today, almost every stretch of Goa roads is accident-prone, due to several factors. The problem cannot be solved by merely putting up sign boards, constructing speed-breakers/rumbling strips and painting of zebra crossings. It requires strict vigilance checks and round the clock patrolling and stringent punishment by the RTO for traffic violations. Sadly, even our Mandovi and Zuari bridges have now become accident- prone zones due to overtaking and speeding beyond the permissible limit of 40 kmph. Road-widening without road dividers and manned pedestrian crossings will only worsen matters as vehicles will be encouraged to speed and overtake and jeopardize the lives of pedestrians. Traffic signals are a must at important road junctions, and one wonders why the RTO is dragging its feet on such an important issue.
A F Nazareth, Porvorim
Unrealistic budget?
The budget proposed by the Parsekar led government may have some pros but it’s obvious that during an election year, the government has sought to pander to the masses to some extent. There are incentives for start-ups, farmers, especially those who intend to farm crabs and other sea food, as well those interested in organic farming. But, the government has not only created single window systems to land related procedures, as well as digitized records, but also added more emphasis to the social schemes. We are made to look as if this state has been doing well economically but in reality is hasn’t. Tourism is down. The mining shutdown has affected the fiscal deficit. Now we have an extra burden in terms of an increase in VAT on petrol, as well as on motorbikes over 2 lakhs and SUVs over 15 lakhs. Motorbikes costing more than 2 lakhs cannot be called high end, as well as SUVs over 15 lakhs. A motorbike that costs 5 lakhs and above is a high end bike. This shows that the government is a bit removed from reality.
Amey Kurtakar, Margao
Fuel hike
If we thought that taxi and other transport fares were expensive, we will be in for a rude shock soon. No doubt, with the increase in VAT on petrol, there will be a fare hike by the taxi associations, who are already charging exorbitant fares. Recently, a taxi from Dabolim Airport to Mapusa cost me Rs 1200. This is a ridiculous cost. It is no wonder that tourist prefer to drive their own vehicles down when they come to Goa for a holiday. The fares here are like highway robbery. Now they will have more reason to fleece travellers, since the price of petrol will go to Rs 57 from Rs 51. This government has no idea what it has done; it has slowly managed to turn the people away from them.
Sanjay Naik, Mapusa
