An ex-pat Goan, planning a visit here over a few days, asked in the online world the other day, “Can we discuss eco-friendly, sustainable public transport and tourism in Goa and what can be done to promote it...?” In no time, someone shot, “Eco-friendly? To start with we’ll be happy just to have public transport.”
From the likes and responses, others agreed.
For decades, since the 1960s, Goa has nobody but itself to blame for being unable to build up a decent public transport system. The Hussamani Committee studied this issue in the 1970s. The new Congress government, which came to power in 1980, attempted to sort out the abysmal public transport system by building the Kadamba bus network four decades ago.
Sometime along the way, it was felt that more minibuses could better serve Goa’s scattered geography. The Kadamba shuttle service helped connect the larger towns, like Panjim, Margao, Vasco, and a few others.
But, soon enough, all this came unstuck. We are where we were in the caminhão era. Things have improved only very slightly.
Electric buses, smooth and airconditioned, might offer a great ride currently on the Panjim-Margao-Ponda route. But, figures tell us that this cost simply too much to buy and/or operate. These ply with few passengers outside peak hours. You can guess the further losses public transport is going to incur. The mini-buses are already insufficient. Lack of late-night transport still plagues much of Goa.
Quite some time back, Kadamba started a nice service connecting the airport at Dabolim with the north Goa beach belt at Calangute. This made it easier to reach Dabolim and stops at the Panjim bus terminal too. But there is so little awareness about its timings, and the entire service itself, that the buses ply largely empty. Maybe 90% who could benefit from this airport service are not even aware that it exists. Leave aside its specific timings.
Talking about which, there is an acute ignorance about Goa’s bus transport timings. Or when buses reach what point, and how long would one have to wait. On village (and even urban) routes, it’s just a hit-and-miss game. You go at any time, wait for who knows how long, and just hope for your luck. Or pray. In a totally unregulated system, one can only expect chaos.
Since the State was not playing its role, not too long back, bus operators at bus stations like Mapusa would “employ” a private individual to act as a referee of sorts. Probably this continues now too. His job was to see that the buses left on time, without warring among themselves. This partly took care of the private bus operators’ interests. Who took up the cause of the commuter?
A once powerful bus lobby
Every once in a way, one falls back on bus transport. Either on the main routes, like Panjim-Margao or for out-of-state travel. For much of our small state, an overnight bus trip might be actually more convenient than a flight. The online facility to book tickets has made things far easier. It’s even more stress-free to hop onto an inter-town shuttle, rather than ride or drive on the over-crowded roads.
It is at times like this that one realises how much the lack of a public transport system is affecting Goa. In the past, the bus lobby was considered to be a powerful one. In fact, during the Shashikala years in government, it was among the most prominent lobbies then. Bus operators were given free rein, and they, in turn, supported the government of the day. It was not without reason that the Opposition-backed student 50 percent concession demand in 1979 also hit hard at the government-bus lobby connection of those times.
Today, what can explain the continued severe inefficiency of Goa’s bus transport? Just inefficiency on the part of our planners and officials? The politicisation of our corporation, where plum offices (and even recruitment) is done amidst the politically connected? Even worse, a couldn’t-care-less attitude among decision-makers and staff? Or maybe even the middle-class belief that just because they have their own transport, everyone else has too?
One of Goa’s Achilles’ heels
Without a doubt, one of Goa’s Achilles’ heels is the lack of a public transport system. So much so that you need to warn anyone spending more than a few days here that life can be extra tough if they don’t have their own transport -- at least two wheels.
Many face this major problem. Some months ago, concerned citizens launched a Car & Bike Pool WhatsApp group. In no time, it picked up members. That’s a good idea, even if there are real-world challenges to implementing it. Solutions such as this only go to show the desperation over public transport in our State.
Let’s admit it: this is a severe issue facing Goa. It makes our small State inefficient in a number of ways. Both locals and visitors (tourists or visiting ex-pats) face the acute pinch while trying to move around. It makes our urban areas more crowded and places away from them, unviable. People who might want a job, have few to choose from in part because the transport system is so inefficient. It also blocks young people from travelling “further” distances for their studies.
But that’s not all: Goa’s poor public transport system affects the tourism sector as well. It makes towns like Panjim shut down by 7 pm as shop staff, market vendors, private employees and others have to rush home via the last buses. This, overall, kills Goa’s already dented efficiency.
Check out the news in the papers. Buses mainly figure in discussions only when there are accidents, a seizure of narcotics in a bus, or some similar cases. Projects that were started with much fanfare are forgotten and no questions asked. There is little to no concern over the overall plight of commuters.
It’s only very seldom that one reads about this issue in the newspapers. This has to do with the fact that most, if not all, journalists, don’t travel by public bus anymore. But please spare a thought for the large bulk of Goa which still does.
Fredrick Noronha
The writer takes unpopular stands and comments as a devil’s advocate (but don’t take that literally). He has been a journalist in Goa since 1983
