The Goa Police fined a group of tourists from Rajasthan Rs 1,500 after they illegally drove an SUV on the Miramar beach.
According to reports, the incident happened on Monday.
In a video posted on social media, a Toyota Fortuner can be seen parked on Miramar beach when the police confront them.
Thanking these constables for taking action on these tourist illegally parking their vehicle on the Miramar beach. pic.twitter.com/wnTimBZcDo
— Ivo D. Lobo Gonçalves (@Ivo_Goncalves_) January 2, 2023
The four tourists on the busy beach can also be heard arguing with the cops, who question their actions.
The police reportedly let them off with a fine of Rs 1,500.
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Fine or slap on the wrist?
While many on social media appreciated the cops for cracking down on the unruly tourists, others pointed out that the fine of Rs 1,500 was like a slap on the wrist.
Honestly if I’m a tourist I’d pay the 1500 and continue driving the entire day seeing as it’s more of an entry to use the beach.
— SayWhat (@JeremyDeMrnda) January 3, 2023
1500 is not a fine, it’s a entry ticket/invitation to use the car on the beach
— Caustic🏹 (@_caustic_soda) January 3, 2023
A fortuner car fined rs1500.. that’s peanuts.
Government should increase the fine on beach driving to rs 20,000 or cease the vehicle.
Driving on beach is become a tourist nuisance.
Dirtying leaving garbage & bottles on beaches is a tourist nuisance.
🙏🏼@DrPramodPSawant @visrane— chris (@chris_sequeira) January 3, 2023
Second case in a week
The incident comes just days after an SUV driven by a tourist from Telangana got stuck in Bogmalo beach in Goa.
In a video posted online, the Toyota Fortuner with a Telangana registration and an MLA sticker can be seen stuck in the sand.
#Tourists from #Telangana drove an #SUV bearing the sticker of an #MLA from #Hyderabad onto #Bogmalo #beach, which led to the #car being stuck in the sand. On being informed of the incident, #Sarpanch & locals surrounded the vehicle & reprimanded the occupants.#goa pic.twitter.com/XGwBxS3x1e
— Clinton Dsouza (@_iamclinton_) December 27, 2022
As the driver tries to get his SUV moving, he was confronted by locals who also informed the police about the illegal act.
SUV with MLA sticker get stuck on Goa beach
In the second week of December, another such incident was reported from Goa’s Morjim, where a tourist drove a Toyota Innova onto the beach.
The Goa-registered SUV was reportedly driving close to the high tide line, following which the Tourism Department asked the police to file an FIR against the offenders. They have been charged under section 188 of IPC.
Driving and open drinking are illegal in Goa
Driving on the beaches of Goa is illegal, but tourists have been caught regularly for flouting these rules.
BCCL
It is not just driving on the beach that has been banned in Goa.
On October 31, the Goa government issued a notice declaring cooking and drinking in the open, begging and illegal hawking, and touting in tourist places, driving vehicles on the beach, etc., as “nuisance,” and placed a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for such violations.
Goa’s best tourist season since COVID
This year Goa has seen the best tourism season since the pandemic.
BCCL
Roads leading to various beaches in Goa witnessed massive traffic jams after midnight on Sunday as lakhs of people turned up on the state’s seashore to welcome the New Year.
A number of people attended midnight masses in churches and chapels.
The state started witnessing a rush of domestic and international tourists ahead of Christmas for the celebrations, which continued till the New Year.
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