Goa government’s circular issued on Tuesday, urging its employees and officials to conserve fuel and make greater use of public transport, is both timely and necessary. Coming in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated calls for responsible energy consumption, the move reflects a growing national recognition that sustainable mobility can no longer remain a policy slogan. Across India, states are experimenting with initiatives to reduce fuel dependence and cut emissions.
While Goa’s appeal for restraint and conservation fits naturally within that larger conversation, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has set the tone by cutting down convoy size and switching to an electric vehicle. States are feeling the heat. Despite soaring temperatures, ministers in Haryana and Delhi are stepping out on bicycles and public transport. Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini was seen cycling along Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh with a small convoy in tow.
The wider messaging across the nation is on saving energy through the use of public transport and carpooling. The State government’s circular may be a sincere effort in that direction, but in Goa, it is easier said than done because of a failed public transport system. Goa takes pride in its pace of development and tourism, but when it comes to public transport, we are outdated. The system is not only fragmented, but unreliable and inadequate to meet the needs of office-goers and the working class.
State-run buses continue to connect major towns, but large parts of the state, particularly interior villages, remain poorly connected. For many commuters, public transport is not a convenient option; it is often not an option at all. The last mile connectivity is missing. Even where bus services exist, commuters often struggle to travel the final stretch between bus stops and residential areas, workplaces, or other destinations. This remains the weak link in the transport network. Efforts like Mhaji Bus and various other initiatives have failed.
As a result, dependence on private vehicles has become deeply entrenched. Goa has the highest vehicle density in the country, with nearly one vehicle per person, and this is where the problem is centred. Goa has emerged as the highest petrol-consuming state in India on a per capita basis, with 52.4 litres of petrol per day consumed for every 100 people. This is nearly five times higher than the national average of 10.4 litres per 100 people per day. Residents increasingly rely on personal two-wheelers and cars, while tourists are left with little choice but to rent scooters or hire expensive taxis. The absence of dependable alternatives has steadily contributed to traffic congestion and parking issues.
The State government’s appeal for fuel conservation must be accompanied by a meaningful structural change. A serious overhaul of public transport is long overdue. The rollout of electric buses has to be accelerated, and the Smart City transport system needs to be applied in a phased manner across a wider landscape. Public transport has to be punctual, reliable and well-connected. Merely asking people or government officials to switch over to public transport will have no takers because, currently, it doesn’t help.
If the government is to encourage a broader shift in public attitudes towards mobility, there has to be a paradigm shift. Goa may have gone a long way forward because of its way of life, but several developed nations and cities, including those in Europe, have adapted to public transport. It’s about making it workable for citizens. It’s time the State government spares a serious thought to modernise public transport.
