PANAJI: Bad mouthed and alcohol intoxicated local drivers are turned away by employers, creating a shortage of 10,000 drivers. Simultaneously, about 8,000 local drivers can’t find jobs because when they get behind the wheel, they seem to go through a personality change, flouting the law and snubbing common courtesy in favour of aggressive driving, according to a senior official of the South Goa Tourist Coaches Owners Association.

On the other hand, employing drivers from outside Goa is forbidden by law, but to bridge the demand and supply gap, drivers from Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal are illegally employed.

The SGTCOA official says, "Once our local drivers get behind the wheel they think irrationally. They don’t stop at crosswalks for pedestrians to walk across the road. They won’t let cars into line in front of them. Adamantly they do not park at legal areas nor do they wait for vehicles pulling out into traffic. It is a blessing to employ a non-alcohol driver."

Such aggressive attitude leads to more accidents, injuries and fatalities. A handful of local drivers are seen wearing footwear, while most of them are seen wearing rubber sandals while driving. In spite of several warnings and instructions they refused to neither learn nor obey. In defiance they drive beyond 60 km to 70 km an hour.

The transport department said it is mandatory for all drivers to wear the PSV (public service vehicle) badge issued in Goa and badge provided by other states are prohibited, and drivers must know to speak the Konkani language.

"Due to the shortage of drivers, me and many of the 67 members are not able to run the coach business, nor are we able to pay the taxes," said the SGTCOA president, Mr Francis D’Silva.

The transport department is adamant that we do not employ drivers from outside Goa.

He said the complaint reached the President and PM offices in New Delhi, which in turn informed Mr Surendra Naik of the state public grievances department. Mr Naik has informed the transport director to take immediate action.