ARTICLE FOR O-HERALD-O GOA
ON ROAD TO SAFETY!
Road Safety Week is over and the Road to safety is yet to be crystallized in the eyes of Goa. What ails the Roads of Goa?

As a practicing Traffic Warden from 1982 at Madras City and Bangalore City, with an exposure at Delhi, I find that the Traffic at Goa with its volume need not frighten any one simply based on the statistical factor!

The plus point in Goa is that

o Goa is a Compact State.
o The People of Goa are more law-abiding as compared to any other part of the Nation.
o The Goan Police, as I have observed are more committed to the Law enforcement. Leave alone the petty cases against them of corruption and molestation.(we do not know complete details of course!)
o The public opinion in Goa is in favour of systems rather than sacrifice or shortcuts.

With plus points in the favour of the State, we should pragmatically chalk out a proper Traffic Model for the State. This model should be State-of-art with Technology and at the same time ensure the BEST TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, which is the backbone of Traffic Safety.

Theoretically, there are at least three components to Road Safety, which are called the Three E's to safety!

1. Engineering
2. Education
3. Enforcement

If you do not pay attention to the three E's it leads to the final E- the End of a Life!

Out of the Three E's, Enforcement is necessary to the extent that it could be extended. Traffic enforcement is time consuming and at the same time, endless to the task. In practice, ENFORCEMENT IS LIKE LAW WHICH IS LATENT; LAW BECOMES PATENT WHEN IT IS VIOLATED. More enforcement and more force for enforcement are all time tested methods in all the cities where I have involved myself with Road safety Measures. All the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners have finally come to the conclusion that Traffic Management combined with Traffic Engineering and Traffic Education should give the desired results.

Some Tips for Goa TRAFFIC POLICE for easy enforcement and Engineering.

1. Remove the parallel bus stops all around the City of Panjim, Vasco, Mapuca and Margao. Onward bus and Return bus should not have Bus Stops opposite to each other on the Road. (Many such places are seen in Goa)
2. Revisit all the ONE WAY roads. All the One way roads do not come under the proper principles of one way traffic Regulations. As per the principle for declaring the One way Traffic, there should be a parallel road available for the outflow or inflow. Take for example the patto bridge experiment: There are three paths wherein Two parallel paths carry the same side flow. The present scenario of Patto Bridge (old) kept as entry point while the immediate parallel Outlet road has become inlet road has not produced the desired results due to the technical fault in this design.

If Patto(old)bridge road is made an outlet, all the intra city traffic will flow out on this road reducing the present chaos at the MANDOVI hotel junction for a U Turn and Right turn towards Patto (New)Bridge.

In this experiment, The Traffic which comes through the present Patto (new) bridge from the Kadamba bus stand will enter the city and those who want to go back to the old bridge will take the deviation (left turn) to enter into old patto bridge road where Post office is situated.

3. The confusion in opening the Mandovi Bridge for both sides near from Mapuca Highway junction/connecting the Bus stand could be ended by declaring one way at all times.
4. Where the flow is very high, the Traffic Signals with automatic changes could be introduced with Solar Power Panels.
5. Traffic violations should be noted and challans in computerized forms indicating the date and time of the occurrence should be sent by ordinary post to the offenders. The fine could be made payable in Nationalised Banks by cash.
6. First time offender is given a Green Sticker on his licence and the Second time offender is given a brown sticker on his licence (both indelible) (Could be punch if licence card) and red sticker is given for the Third time offender. All these three types of warnings will be within the purview of the Traffic Police. They will issue Notice when the violation is beyond three times.
7. A Road safety show depicting the evils of Violations on Road, could be shown in the Traffic Police Office, making it compulsory or those who pay the fine for any violation. This show for one hour should not only be deterrent to the offenders on account of the time delay but also due to its appeal.
8. Regulating the timings and routes of Driving School vehicles during the peak hours.
9. Regulating the timings and routes of the CCCP Vehicles during the peak hours.
10. Traffic Patrol parked in critical circles and junctions with their Radio contacts inter connected to TRAFFIC POLICE PHONE NUMBER 103(Traffic Control Room) would enhance the Enforcement set-up and the Fear for law by the Road users.
11. Take up Leading Schools for educating the Children Once in a Week by the Traffic Police or Traffic Wardens
12. Conduct Annual Painting Competition for Children on Road Safety to promote the Childrens' views on Road Safety.

These are very illustrative and not exhaustive. For a real success, it is imperative that there should be a Traffic Committee at the State Level to bring about Uniform Changes and Uniform Codes for all the Traffic Related Regulations covering the Road Engineering, Education and Enforcement.

MASTER PLAN: What is needed is a Master Plan for Goa on Traffic Management. I can say with confidence that wherever Traffic is better Managed, than enforced, there you could find flow of traffic and also the Road Safety.

What Goa needs to day is not hundreds of Traffic Cops standing on the Road and redundantly regulating the traffic; but TRAFFIC SENSITISATION of the Police, Public and the Regional Transport Authorities. Besides, a co ordination or synergy is expected from the Traffic Police and also the Regional Transport Authority is a necessary evil! *

ACCIDENTS AND DRIVER’S FATIGUE

Dakshin Kannada is yet to recover from the shock of the ghastly incident leading to the loss of innocent lives in an accident of the Iravata Bus near Mangalore, with a stationery lorry.
While looking at the Road Safety Angle, there could be several unanswered questions including the physical condition of the Driver of the Volvo bus as well as the speed of the vehicle at that moment of time.
In this case, the driver also had a miraculous escape and is available to bring out the true story!
Majority of the Accidents occur due to drivers’ error than the mechanical failures. Even in the case of mechanical failures, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is in proper driving condition/road worthy before taking on to the wheels. Of course, the seasonal aspects like rainy terrain or muddy roads only afford the benefit of doubt to the driver. If the driver is only an employee of a Transport Corporation, it is also the consequential responsibility of the owners of the vehicle to provide the vehicle intact, before it is taken on the roads, in addition to the Driver’s Responsibility to check the Road-worthiness of the vehicle.
Driver’s Fatigue occurs due to several reasons including the hours of work and the health and emotional conditions of the driver on the assignment.
Distraction or lack of concentration on the driving leads to a momentary failure of the driver depending on the situational sequence. Years of driving experience does not merit consideration in any accident analysis as every trip is considered as a new challenge and risk management.
There are contributory factors by the victim/s(other than driver, if any), road conditions and sometimes (traffic) regulation mistakes also. All these aspects are expected to find a place in the Accident Investigation report of the Traffic Police. Unfortunately, the higher is the horsepower, more is the blame is on that vehicle and that driver, as the victim belongs to a lower specie of the vehicles or the other category-the pedestrian or passenger. However, loss of any life on road is to be prevented as a Social Mission.
Long distance drivers: Though driving is a habit, the reflex system fails due to the fatigue or stress on the part of the driver. The stress could be due to the extended hours of driving or due to the mental tension/stress on the driver that proves to be risky. Drivers of Heavy Transport vehicles beyond certain capacity of tonnage and also the long distance vehicles carrying the passengers should be put under a minimal test for the health fitness on a trip-to-trip basis. This ensures elimination of drivers’ fatigue during long journey trips. Providing additional drivers to share the distance of driving is another Safety Strategy.
City Drivers : Stress is common in driving big vehicles-be it long distance or city rides. Hence, drivers of city buses, irrespective of state run or private, should undergo a basic health check periodically, by a physician at the City Terminals. This will ensure that the fatigued drivers are quarantined immediately. A Common Room for Rest of the drivers with facility for destressing (entertainments including Television or music) should find a place in all the City Bus Terminals. It should also be the state-of art technology.
Drunken Drivers: Though it is easily said than done, drunken driving interception is a difficult task especially when one is at the wit’s end. The process is a cumbersome one with medical check-up and content of alchohol in the blood. Compounding this offence on the road side is also not possible as it needs blood sample and evidence. However, in my Road Safety Drives experience, I have observed that during the process of booking the drunken drivers they greatly get discouraged from drunken driving. On one side, the precious resting time is lost and on the other side, the humiliation during the process of waiting, medical test and appearing in the court for paying the fine act as a deterrant. The Police Strategy for booking drunken driving acts as critical element, due to its flashy type of operation, the secrecy and the force(visibility) used on a single event! It is also desirable that the Traffic Police conducts drive against drivers under the influence of drug addiction.
Goods Carriers: It is essential that Truck Terminals come operational with the required medical attention and also the basic check up infrastructure to clear the Truck Drivers for long distance voyages. Rest Rooms with destressing facilities should be of a quality and style. In the current case of accident, the truck was parked on road side leading to the ghastly accident.
Private Vehicles and Drivers: It is the responsibility of the driver himself/herself not to take the vehicle out when the driver is fatigued. Similarly, the owner of the vehicle should ensure that the driver of the personal vehicle is physically fit for the day. Long distance drivers should take an active precaution for a Safe Travel Plan.
Though accidents on the Highways are on the increase, Details of accident analysis are not made public perhaps due to several causative factors like public reactions, industrial relations etc.,
At least, in the case of the accidents where loss of lives are registered, a thorough accident analysis, alongwith the solutions discussed at the highest levels of Authority!*