Four days, two accidents: Calls grow for stricter checks on rental vehicles

Asmita Polji

Pernem

Following two serious road accidents involving rent-a-cab vehicles within four days — one in Sirlim that left a woman seriously injured and another in Siolim that claimed the life of a 32-year-old man while leaving a 12-year-old boy critically injured — concerns are mounting over road safety, rash driving by tourists, and the regulation of rental vehicles.

On May 26, a woman sustained serious injuries in Sirlim after a rented Thar allegedly overtook vehicles from the wrong side and knocked her down in the middle of the highway. She narrowly escaped being run over by a vehicle behind her. On May 29, another fatal accident involving a rent-a-cab Thar and a scooter in Siolim resulted in the death of a 32-year-old man, while a 12-year-old boy was seriously injured.

Reacting to the incidents, Deepak Kalangutkar said road accidents are increasing at an alarming rate and have become a serious concern for every citizen.

While tourism remains the backbone of Goa’s economy, the rising number of accidents involving tourists due to rash driving, drunken behaviour, negligence towards traffic rules and disregard for local road conditions is deeply worrying, he said.

“Many visitors come to Goa to enjoy themselves, but enjoyment should
never come at the cost of public safety. Overspeeding rented vehicles, dangerous stunts, drunk driving and irresponsible behaviour on narrow village roads are putting both locals and tourists at risk. Sadly, innocent lives are being lost because of carelessness and lack of discipline on the roads,” he said.

Kalangutkar said authorities must take stricter action by improving traffic monitoring, enforcing stronger penalties, properly regulating rental vehicles and creating greater awareness among tourists before they take to the roads.

“Tourism should bring happiness and development, not fear and tragedy. There is a need for regular awareness drives, proper guidance for tourists unfamiliar with Goa’s roads, strict action against drunken and rash driving, and education on responsible road behaviour. Prevention is always better than punishment. Road safety is a shared responsibility between citizens, traffic authorities and departments concerned. Timely action and coordination can help prevent many unfortunate accidents,” he said.

Jose Lobo, a social activist from Tuem, said several factors are contributing to the increasing number of road accidents. He said the rent-a-car business needs to be properly regulated with adequate safeguards in place. “Strict drunk-driving inspections should be carried out at various locations, and anyone found driving under the influence should face immediate legal action, including detention for at least 24 hours.

While handing over vehicles, owners of rental businesses must provide tourists with ‘dos and don’ts’ guidelines prepared by the traffic cell. Proper signboards, traffic signals and speed breakers must also be updated and maintained periodically. The government earns significant revenue from tourism and should appoint a professional agency to prepare and implement comprehensive road safety guidelines to avoid accidents,” Lobo said.

Another citizen Avertino Miranda said with several local residents losing their lives in road accidents involving tourist-driven vehicles, it is time for the state government to initiate stringent checks through the traffic police to monitor drunk driving.

“Banning rent-a-cars alone will not solve the issue, as many tourists also come to Goa in self-driven vehicles. The traffic police must conduct regular alcohol breath analyser tests during both day and night at tourist hotspots to effectively curb drunk driving,”
he said.

Miranda also said taxi aggregators should be allowed to operate in Goa to ensure affordable and safe transportation for both tourists and locals. “This would help discourage drunk driving and improve the safety of motorists as well as pedestrians on the roads,” he said.