Deviya Rane seeks accountability on road safety
Poriem MLA Deviya Rane speaks in the Assembly on Wednesday.
MAPUSA
Poriem MLA Deviya Rane on Wednesday raised serious concerns in the Goa Legislative Assembly over the alarming rise in vehicular accidents caused by drunken driving, particularly by domestic tourists using private and self-driven rental vehicles, warning that the situation was fast turning into a major public safety threat.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Rane said tourists unfamiliar with Goa’s narrow village roads, blind turns and winding stretches often drive under the influence of alcohol while on vacation, endangering the lives of local residents and fellow road users.
“Tourists opt for rental vehicles as they are more economical than taxi services. But while enjoying their holidays, many consume alcohol and drive. In several cases, offenders flee the State after causing accidents, escaping accountability under the law,” she said.
Rane stressed that rental car and two-wheeler agencies cannot be allowed to function as neutral vendors, arguing that the State has a fundamental duty to prioritise road safety and protect lives by enforcing stricter regulations.
Call for accountability of rental agencies
The MLA urged the government to fix accountability on rental agencies by mandating written declarations from renters, including safety briefings on local traffic rules, penalty clauses to cover damages in case of accidents, and provisions for suspension or cancellation of driving licences in major accident cases.
She also demanded stringent penalties for rental agencies found renting vehicles to unlicensed drivers, stating that enforcement must go beyond targeting drivers alone.
Police checks need strengthening
While acknowledging that police nakabandhis and checks were a good practice, Rane said they were not yielding the desired results, as most were conducted on weekends and at predictable locations.
She called for mandatory breath analyser tests at every nakabandhi and checkpoint without exception, frequent rotation of checking locations, and the establishment of permanent checkpoints at strategic points identified through the overlap of high alcohol availability, heavy rental vehicle movement and accident-prone zones.
Tech-driven enforcement
Highlighting the need for modern policing tools, Rane proposed the installation of AI-powered surveillance cameras on major roads to detect suspicious behaviour, identify traffic violations and read number plates at night.
She also suggested setting up a dedicated helpline integrated with the police control room to enable swift reporting of violations and faster police response times.
In addition, the MLA called for tourist awareness programmes, mandatory safety briefings at the time of vehicle rental, wider road safety campaigns through digital media, and incentives to encourage locals to report reckless driving.
Govt assures further action
Responding to the issue, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho told the House that the government has already initiated several measures to curb drunken driving and that these steps have begun to show results.
He assured that the government would roll out additional measures to strengthen enforcement and said the matter would be taken up in the next Road Safety Council meeting for further deliberation.
The issue gains significance as The Goan has repeatedly highlighted the rising number of road accidents and instances of rash and drunken driving involving domestic tourists, sparking growing concern among residents over road safety in the State.
