MARGAO
Where are the Transport Committees to monitor issues centred on the transport of school children in vehicles? This question took the centre stage at the South Goa Road Safety Committee meeting at the South district Collectorate on Monday when NGOs sought to know from the officials the status of the mandatory transport committees to be put in place as per the rules.
In fact, at the meeting, GOACAN secretary Lorna Fernandes sought to know from the Education department officials the fate of the Transport Committee since it’s now almost two years that the transport committees are not put in place.
She pointed out at the meeting that the instructions should go to the education department to provide a list of committees, the names and the contact numbers so that the transport department is made to monitor the issues facing the transportation of school children.
The issue of trauma centres at the Primary Health Centres and the hospitals also came up before the road safety meeting, wherein officials maintained that the PHCs have been equipped with men and machinery to handle trauma.
GOACAN, however, disputed the claims made on the trauma centres, demanding to know how come patients are shifted from the PHCs to the district hospitals and from the district hospitals to the Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim. “We have insisted that at least the health centres at Canacona and Balli in South Goa should be equipped with trauma centres”, she said.
NGOs representing the consumers also demanded that the bus passengers from South Goa are properly informed about the shifting of the Margao KTC bus stand in view of the Prime Minister’s visit to Margao on February 6.
“Just an announcement of the shifting of the bus stand will be suffice. There ought to be proper publicity to make the people, and more so the tourists, aware of the alternate bus stand facilities in the city”, Lorna added.
Given that vendors, including fish, vegetable and fruit vendors are operating along the road sides at many places in the towns and village, a plea was made to crack a whip against the encroachments posing danger to motorists. After discussions, it was decided to write to the Director of Municipal administration to crack a whip against the mushrooming vendors in the towns and villages along the roadside hampering traffic.
