Goa is observing ‘Road Safety Week’ from September 8 to 14. Unfortunately several road accidents have been attributed to the poor road condition in the state. Most of the roads are full of potholes making riding and driving a nightmarish experience. Two-wheeler riders tend to lose control of the vehicle while encountering a pothole resulting in a fall which can prove fatal. In October 2021 the government promised that not a single pothole would be visible on the roads in the state from November 1. But the potholes continued to exist. More recently in August this year the government had set a 48-hour deadline to repair pothole-ridden roads. However, this too missed the deadline with motorists across the state still grappling with miserable road conditions. It may be recalled that in 2019, the Public Works Department (PWD) set up a public helpline to enable citizens to report potholes. The PWD’s pothole reporting app went live after it was launched in 2022. The government needs to revive the pothole reporting app and the public helpline as both appear to be dormant.
