GOACAN concludes Consumers Road Safety Fortnight

Panaji, Jul 31 (UNI) A Goan NGO-GOACAN- concluded its Consumers Road Safety Fortnight today by holding an Awareness Action on the National Highway 17(Goa_Karnataka) at Nuvem near Carmel College in collaboration with Traffic Police and the Directorate of Transport.

The two hour action had volunteers drawn from Nuvem Civic&Consumer Forum, Consumer Welfare Club of Carmel Higher Secondary School and GOACAN carrying placards with various important messages on Road Safety and Consumer Rights.

The volunteers cautioned the motorists on use of Safety Seat Belts, Speed limits&lane cutting and cautioned the motorcycle riders on proper use of helmets.

Student volunteers of the Consumer Welfare Club under the guidance of Co-ordinators Ms Sarvamangala Jangum and Ms Manjusha Talwadker also cautioned some of the bus conductors who were not issuing tickets and 50% bus concession.

One bus was detained for sometime by the traffic police after student CWC volunteers identified the bus conductor against whom students had complained for overcharging of bus fare, misbehaving with female passengers and being under the influence of alcohol.

The CWC student volunteers who cautioned many drivers&co-passengers of vehicles of Goa&Central Govt. Departments including the Goa Police for not wearing their seat belts have decided to write to the Chief Minister Digamber Kamat, Transport Minister Sudhin Dhavlikar besides Chief Secretary J.P. Singh, DGP Brar and Director of Transport P.S. Reddy to strictly enforce the rule to set an example to the Aam Admi.

During the fortnight, consumer forum volunteers moved resolutions in their respective Gram Sabhas resolutions on Road Safety issues ranging from establishment of a Road Engineering Cell in the PWD, listing of sinnages, maintenance of Speed breakers and rumbler strips in their jurisdiction, notified stands in various wards for Taxi's, motorcycles and Rickshaws, and Village level Road Safety&Traffic Management committees.

Informative literature on Helping Road Accident Victims, Use of indicators and dipper at night, Proper use of Helmet, non-use of mobile phones whilst driving and the beneficial use of Zebra crossing were distributed widely by the Consumer Forum volunteers.

Consumer Welfare Clubs were inaugurated and wall paper and complaint box installed at Shri Shantadurga Higher Secondary School, Bicholim and St. Clara's High School in Assonora during which students were provided an awareness sessions on the importance of Road Safety and Traffic Management for consumers.

During the fortnight Road Safety Awareness Actions were also conducted at O'Coqueiro Circle at Porvorim in North Goa and at Navelim near Rosary High School during the early hours of the day involving volunteers from the Consumer Forums.

To support the initiative of the Goa Traffic Police to introduce Traffic warden scheme and the establishment of Road Safety Patrols in City schools, GOACAN organised a sensitization program for Consumer Forum volunteers to ensure a good response from the public.

GOACAN will shortly approach the Heads of the Educational Institutions with a request to set up Road Safety and Traffic Management Cells within the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) so that localized Road Safety Plans can be prepared and Teachers, Parents and their children can benefit from the same.

UNI BM NC BD0130