In a major push to improve road safety, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on Monday announced that the Goa government has decided to stop issuing new licences for Mahindra Thar vehicles in the rent-a-car sector, citing a growing number of accidents involving the SUVs.

Godinho said the government would have completely banned Thar vehicles from the rental fleet if it was legally permissible. He added that the decision was taken in the interest of public safety, as concerns have been raised over the increasing involvement of rental Thars in road accidents.

In another significant announcement, the minister said AI-powered traffic cameras installed at 26 locations across Goa will begin issuing e-challans from July 15.

Until then, motorists violating traffic rules will receive only awareness messages instead of penalties, allowing the public to familiarise themselves with the new enforcement system.

Godinho revealed that a trial run conducted on July 4 detected more than 56,000 traffic violations in a single day, with the majority relating to non-use of seat belts and lack of valid insurance.

He said the AI-based surveillance system is expected to strengthen traffic law enforcement, improve road safety, reduce accidents, and enhance security across the state.