The Goa government is tinkering with the idea of placing restrictions on the registration of new cars and rental, self-driven two-wheelers on account of increasing traffic on the state's roads, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has said.
The minister said that this move was considered at a meeting of Goa government ministers on Wednesday.
"There was a suggestion yesterday when all the ministers met, not to give more permits for cars because there are too many cars on the road. There is no parking. They come and park in anybody's neighbourhood, blocking people from coming out of their houses. You see what is happening in and around the airport. They park all over, near the Joggers park, they can't come out of their houses," Godinho told reporters on Thursday.
"This situation cannot be allowed beyond a certain point. I will be reviewing the whole thing," he added.
For a population of nearly 16 lakh, the state has around 15.27 lakh registered vehicles out of which cars and jeeps account for 22 per cent, while two-wheelers account for 70.81 per cent, as per the state's latest Economic Survey report for FY22.
Godinho added that there was a need to limit registration of self-driven two-wheelers, popular with tourists as rent-a-bikes, claiming that tourists are often prone to accidents while riding such vehicles.
"Rental bikes are another big problem which is developing because they were just given without application of mind. I want to inform you that in the last eight months, I have not cleared a single new licence and I am not going to clear," Godinho said.
"Tourists use these bikes, they do not know the roads. The person riding pillion guides the driver using GPS and there are accidents. There have been maximum fatalities. Do we want to call tourists and kill them on the roads with no steps being taken?" the minister said.