The call made by CM Pramod Sawant to the people of Goa to avail themselves of the bus services of Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) instead of two-wheelers for long-distance travel, to reduce the number of road accidents, is a wise decision, coming not a day too soon. With around 15 lakh two-wheelers on Goa’s roads, the switchover to bus travel will undoubtedly help to reduce the traffic jams and pollution witnessed every day, especially on the Mapusa-Panaji stretch, due to diversions for the construction of the elevated highway in Porvorim.
Secondly, life in Goa today is not as it was a few years ago. People are constantly on the move, and there is no time for anything. The situation is bound to get worse if one has to depend on public transport to reach one’s office in time or attend to other duties. There is, therefore, an urgent need to increase the number of buses and their frequency on all routes to achieve our goal. Otherwise, CM Sawant’s call will only be taken with a pinch of salt.