People gather at the site of a road collision between a minibus taxi and a haulage truck in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo)
Porvorim: Goa registered 261 cases of road accidents in the first half of 2025, said CM Pramod Sawant, replying to a legislative assembly question tabled by MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira on Tuesday, during the ongoing monsoon assembly session.The chief minister’s written reply revealed that after an analysis of accident trends, state govt in coordination with the Union ministry of road transport and highways identified several accident-prone zones and black spots on national highways, state highways, and other roads in Goa.The list of 22 hotspots (including 14 black spots) in North Goa and 21 (including 16 black spots) in South Goa was submitted to the PWD for remedial action to reduce risks. Among these, nine black spots are in the Panaji traffic cell’s jurisdiction.Sawant said that to address safety concerns at these accident-prone zones, state govt has initiated a series of interventions, including proposals to the public works department (PWD), the NH wing, and local bodies, recommending engineering solutions and repairs at critical spots.Police station staff and traffic units have been positioned at strategic junctions and high-risk locations to monitor traffic flow, conduct checks, and enforce road safety regulations.Violators are booked under the sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and accompanying rules.Sawant said that traffic police conduct targeted drives and random inspections at black spots and high-incidence locations.From Jan to June this year, over 1.2 lakh violations were booked under the Motor Vehicles Act, a number that already represents 30% of the previous year’s total of over 4 lakh cases.
