'Bad roads cause accidents, not drunk driving,' says Goa bar-resto owners’ body to transport minister

State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho’s proposal to make it mandatory for Goa’s bar and restaurant owners to ensure that drunk patrons are dropped home in cabs, seems to have hit a snag already.

President of the All Goa Bar and Restaurant Owners Association Michael Carrasco said on Wednesday that it would not be feasible for its members to ferry drunk customers back home, claiming that the cause for most road accidents in Goa was poor road conditions, and not drunken driving.

“Godinho says that most accidents occur because people drink and drive, we do not accept this contention…drinking and driving alone is not the cause for accidents. There are various other reasons. First of all, the roads are not in good condition; there are potholes which cause accidents. Speed breakers are not painted, there are no indicators on roads, the design is faulty. More accidents occur because of these reasons,” Carrasco said.

Godinho had said on Monday that his ministry was working on a mechanism which would place the onus on bar and restaurant owners to ensure that their patrons reach safely home in a cab if they are drunk.

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“I am telling (transport department) officers to liaison with bars and restaurants about footfalls. (They will be told) that when somebody is drunk, it is the responsibility of the bar owner to send (the person) home by hiring a cab. Don’t send them driving their own car. This is the new norm in Goa for safety.... We will implement it very strictly,” Godinho had said, citing the rising rate of drunk driving accidents in the state.

Carrasco however countered Godinho’s claim, stating that app-based taxi services are scarce in Goa; and that if Ola and Uber services were available in the state, bar and restaurant customers would have used them while heading out for a tipple.

“He (transport minister) says it is our responsibility to ensure that customers are dropped home. That is not possible.... If there are app-based taxis, they can book their ride and go home. Because there are no taxis, they are forced to drive their own vehicles…to enjoy,” Carrasco said.

Currently, the only app-based taxi service operational in the state is Goa Miles, which has been criticised for its lack of geographical coverage.

The restaurant owners’ association chief also said that there was another reason—the possibility of fists flying—which makes Godinho’s proposal impractical.

“If you speak to bar and restaurant patrons when they are drinking, they will never listen to you. They will say we have our own car, why should we travel in your car? This can cause fights,” Carrasco said.