The Works

| 2002 |

57 hurt in bus mishaps over 11 days

If you feel travelling in buses is a safe option, think again.

Believe it or not, as many as 57 persons have been injured in three major bus mishaps in the State during the past 11 days.

And all vehicles involved in the three mishaps have been buses — five to be specific.

“The number of passengers injured in the three bus mishaps these past few days has indeed been alarming,” remarked Director of Transport D A Hawaldar.

“The three major reasons for such mishaps is over-crowding of buses, under-charging of passengers and over-speeding of buses. Besides being related to each other, these three factors are linked with profit motives, resulting in such unfortunate mishaps,” the director added.

The first of the three mishaps was reported on July 20, when 30 persons were injured, two of them seriously, when two buses collided with each other along the highway at Mulgao-Bicholim.

According to Bicholim police, the bus Dattaprasad (GA-01-V-5033) which was travelling from Ponda to Mapusa, collided with the bus Gajant Laxmi (GA-01-T-5555), proceeding from Panjim to Amona.

According to eye-witnesses, Dattaprasad bus was overloaded, as some passengers were seen standing on the door step, and the vehicle was moving in a top speed.

In the second incident, 12 persons were injured on July 27 morning, when a minibus and a private bus collided with each other on the national highway near the Government primary school at Sao Pedro n Ribandar.

Old Goa police said the mishap took place at about 7 am as the minibus (GA-01-T-5686) was proceeding to Panjim, while the private bus (GA-01-T-4568) was travelling in the opposite direction.

Eye-witnesses had informed Herald that the minibus was at ‘high speed’, when it overtook a vehicle and rammed into the oncoming bus.

The third bus mishap took place on July 30, when 15 passengers were injured after a bus skidded at Rede-Ghat in Valpoi.

Valpoi police said the incident took place at about 9.45 am, as the bus (GA-01-U-5235) was proceeding from Panjim to Valpoi. The bus skidded off the road and landed in the nearby bushes.

The transport director mentioned the problem of bus mishaps drew the attention and concern of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar following a recent fatal mishap at Neuginagar in Panjim.

“The chief minister made it clear that there should be a total crackdown on bus operators involved in mishaps. Besides suggesting training of drivers to given them proper orientation, he even recommended the cancellation of licences of those drivers involved in frequent mishaps,” explained Hawaldar.

While expressing surprise over the mishaps in places such as Valpoi and Bicholim, Transport Director Hawaldar mentioned that bus operators in those areas had taken the initiative to form the North Goa Bus Owners Association.

“One of the aim of this association was to make bus transportation safer,” he explained. “When the association met me, I emphasised on self-discipline among bus drivers to prevent mishaps. In fact, they had even agreed to implement all recommendations of the transport department.”

“Unfortunately as in most places in the country,” he added, “the thrust towards profit motive in Goa has increased the number of mishaps involving buses.”

Hawaldar insisted that the desire for profits would eventually be detrimental to the bus lobby.

“Bus owners do not realise that with more mishaps, people will prefer opting for private vehicles. In fact, Goa is one of the rare states where nearly 70 per cent of all vehicles in the State are two-wheelers. If this trend increases, bus operators will lose out on business and will have only themselves to blame,” predicted the transport director.

He also admitted that the enforcement agencies had performed poorly in the task of implementing rules.

“Unless a scare is given, bus mishaps will continue to be on the rise. The enforcing agencies, which include officials from the transport department, should strictly enforce rules without being under the fear of interference,” insisted Hawaldar.

The director however pointed out that some vigilant officers had succeeded in reducing the number of mishaps along certain routes in the State.

“Assistant director of Transport Servo Fernandes was successful in reducing the number of accidents along the Mapusa-Panjim route. A number of steps are also to be introduced in Panjim to reduce mishaps in the capital city, as well as in places such as Calangute,” informed Hawaldar.

While attempting to understand the nature of the problem, he felt that bus operators may be faced with the lack of skilled manpower in the State.

“Most of the drivers and conductors are not skilled and more importantly, are not easily available,” opined the transport director. “Suppose a bus owner removes a drunk driver from service, he might find it difficult to get a replacement.”

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