Staff Reporter
Panaji
Over the last 14 months, Goa traffic police have booked over 27,000 violations committed by motorists using rent-a-car/bike, with majority of the violators being tourists, said a senior police officer.
The officer said a total of 27,774 traffic rule violations related to rented cars/bikes were reported between January 2024 and February 2025.
The officer said that with regard to rented cars, 8,046 cases were booked in 2024, while the first two months of this year saw 1,381 violations. He said a total of 14,718 cases related to rented bikes were booked last year, while 3,629 cases have been registered till date this year.
The police official said that at times, even local residents use rented cars or bikes.
Last year in March, Goa police had said that tourists availing rent-a-car/bike services would have to sign an undertaking that they would not break the traffic rules. According to police, this was done to instil a sense of road discipline among the tourists. One of the reasons, police said, was that the tourists were not aware of the state’s topography.
As per data tabled in the state legislative assembly in July 2024, 272 road accidents were reported in the state between 2019 and June 2024 involving rented cars or bikes. Rented cars were involved in 215 of these accidents, while 57 accidents involved rented bikes. The period witnessed 64 incidents of occupants performing stunts using rented cars, driving rashly or driving in unauthorised areas like on beaches. Two incidents involving rented bikes were reported during the period.
Recently, Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar said the first two months of this year saw a 28% drop in fatal road accidents compared to the corresponding period in the last year. He said this was a result of the police focussing on quality prosecution.
Goa police have also introduced a ‘standard script’ for its traffic policemen as part of the image-building measure with focus on soft skills, etiquette etc.
