EDITORIAL
Citizens deserve a sustainable public transport system with redeveloped bus stands
Goa may be a top performer in some areas enlisted by NITI Aayog. However, in the transportation sector, we are severely lagging. Issues of public transport, bus stands, condition of buses, etc, were discussed in the Goa Assembly on Monday.
The situation of bus stands and public transport is so bad that even the ruling party MLAs joined in to criticise the government. The current state of most of the state’s bus stands is poor. During the monsoon, bus operators find it tough to negotiate potholes in the bus stand complexes. Mapusa is a classic example where the (old) bus stand, which is always busy, has been in disarray for over a decade. There was some relief for inter-state buses, as just on the eve of the last assembly election, a new bus stand was constructed.
Mapusa is the hub for almost the entire North Goa. Bardez is North Goa’s most populous taluka. Educational institutions in Mapusa attract students not just from Bardez but from far and wide. For nearly five years now, the government has been talking of redeveloping the Mapusa bus stand on a PPP basis.
From the speeches made in the House, one can draw the picture of transportation in the state. “Open drainages, overflowing toilets, no cleanliness… this is what our people face every day. It defeats the very purpose of the Swachh Bharat Mission,” is how Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo described the situation. Taleigao BJP MLA Jennifer Monserrate said that most bus stands lack signboards, toilets are poorly maintained, and road speed breakers are in disrepair. Bicholim Independent MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye said renovation work of the inter-state bus stand in Bicholim has been stalled for three years.
The condition of buses is another issue. Mormugao BJP MLA Sankalp Amonkar described the KTC shuttle station as “a disaster” with leaking roofs and inadequate shelter. Fatorda GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai said that KTCL is collapsing, the RTO is toothless, and the public transport policy is dumped in the dustbin. “Of the 200 promised e-buses, only 140 have arrived – what happened to the rest?” he asked.
How does the government expect senior citizens and women to use public buses which will start or terminate their journey at these bus stands whose condition is pathetic? Margao is another bus stand that needs a thorough revamp. Announcements had been made in the past about having a state-of-the-art bus terminus for Margao.
Even Panaji needs a better bus stand. The less said, the better about the inter-state bus stand in Panaji. Hundreds of tourists and locals travel by buses every day, but the state of the makeshift bus stand hasn’t changed. It’s difficult to imagine a capital city not having a decent inter-state bus terminus. Lopsided priorities have led us to this situation. Crores of rupees are spent on tourism promotion, and when tourists visit Goa, what is the picture of the bus stands they will take home?
Goans pay around Rs 520 crore in taxes, but they have failed to get good public transport facilities. In other sectors, we boast of a “double engine sarkar”. Why not in this people-oriented sector? The public transport system is in doldrums, especially in rural areas. There are more private vehicles on the road only because of the government’s failure over the years to have a reasonably priced public transport system in place. Lack of multi-level parking facilities is also a failure of the government. For how long will commuters have to bear with the deteriorating public transport system in the state?