Transport dept to target over-speeding with radar guns

PANAJI: The transport department will procure 20 speed radar guns as part of its efforts to curb over-speeding on Goan roads. Along with the speed radar guns, the transport department will also procure six interceptor vehicles and 20 alcometers (breath analyzers) to curb traffic violations. The procurement is estimated to cost around 2-3 crore and the tender will be floated shortly.
Transport director Arun Desai told TOI that these new procurements are towards implementation of the recently notified state road safety policy.
Interceptor vehicles serve to enforce speed limits, nab those overtaking from the wrong side, not following traffic signals, etc. Of the six interceptor vehicles to be procured, the transport department and Goa traffic police will get three each. Presently, the transport department does not have any interceptor vehicle. The traffic police have two interceptor vehicles, one each in North and South Goa. But traffic police officials said that “these vehicles are being used just like any other vehicles”.
The transport department has 20 breath analyzers to check for drunken driving and the traffic police have 13. Desai said that as per directions of the Supreme Court committee on road safety, the enforcement wing of the transport department and the traffic cell of Goa police were to be strengthened with enforcement equipment. “The interceptor vehicles, speed radar guns and breath analyzers are being bought precisely for this purpose. The tender documents have been sent to a technical evaluation committee headed by the director of the department of information technology as there are many technical issues related to the purchase. The tender is likely to be floated next week,” Desai said. As part of the state road safety policy, the transport department has also prepared a proposal to have prosecution-cum-road safety cells for North and South Goa. The reason is that about 30% of the challans that are issued go uncompounded, as people do not pay up.
“These people need to be prosecuted, whereby the department has to frame and issue chargesheets against them, serve notices and generally do a follow-up. This responsibility was earlier with the enforcement wing but it is difficult for them to do both, enforcement and prosecution,” Desai said.
Under the new proposal, the department has mooted a new assistant director of transport responsible for road safety and prosecution, one each for North and South Goa, Desai said.