If Goa was a country, it would rank 15th in the world forthe number of vehicles it has per 1000 people.
The State ranks 15th in the world as per World BankInstitute 2010 rankings with 613 motor vehicles per 1000 people.
For a population of 14,57,723, the State has nearly 9,00,000 motor vehicles. Although the number of vehicles keeps increasing theinfrastructure has failed to keep pace with the growth.
The State has a ratio of 613 motor vehicles per 1000 people,which is highest in the country. This is partly due to the fact that Goa hasthe highest per capita income in the country.
According to records available with the Director ofTransport, the motor vehicles population in Goa had touched 8,93,749 tillAugust 31, 2012, while on an average nearly 5000 vehicles were registered sinceApril 2012, which means by month end the figures would touch 900,000.
“For 900,000 vehicles, the State has only 290 traffic policea palpably low figure by any stretch of imagination. We had requested theauthorities to increase the number of police to at least 600. In fact we hadinitiated a drive of having traffic wardens to ease pressure on police,” saidGoaCan convener, Rolan Martins.
“Although the vehicles to people ratio has been growing, thewidth of the roads and bridges has remained the same in the State for the lastcouple of decades. The infrastructure needs to expand with the correspondinggrowth of vehicular population,” Martins said.
He said that it would be unfair to compare Goa with theother countries in the world. The motor vehicles ratio is high in developedcountries; however, at the same time their infrastructure to carry the burdenof growing vehicles is also in place.
“Nearly 70 per cent of the vehicles in the State comprisesof two wheelers including 19,866 bikes on rent. The remaining 30 per centaccount for other vehicles,” said Arun Dessai, Director of Transport.
