Goa's main
form of public transport largely consists of privately operated
buses linking the major towns to rural areas. Government-run
white-with-blue-and-red-stripes buses, maintained by a service
called the Kadamba Transport Corporation, links both major
routes (like the Panjim-Margao route) and also some of the
more remote parts of the state and taluka headquarters. Public
transport in Goa is not very efficient, and most buses stop
plying on routes a little after dusk.
Residents depend heavily on their own transport, usually motorised
two-wheelers.
Goa has two National Highways passing through it. NH-17 runs
along India's west coast and links Goa to Bombay in the north
and Mangalore to the south. NH-4A running across the state
connects the capital Panjim to Belgaum in east, linking Goa
to cities in the Deccan. Goa has a total of 224 km of National
highway, 232 km of state highway and 815 km of district highway.
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Hired forms of transport include unmetered taxis, and, in
urban areas, auto rickshaws.
A unique form of transport in Goa is the yellow-and-black
two-wheeler Motorcycle taxi, operated by drivers who are locally
called "pilots". These vehicles transport a single
pillion rider, at fares that are usually negotiated prior
or after the journey.
In some places in Goa, there are river crossings which are
serviced by the ferry boats, operated by the river navigation
departments.
Goa has two rail lines – one run by the South Western
Railway and the other by the Konkan Railway. The line run
by the South Western Railway links the port town of Vasco
da Gama to Hubli in Karnataka and passes through Margao. The
Konkan Railway line runs parallel to the coast connecting
Mumbai to the Malabar Coast.
Goa's sole airport, the Dabolim Airport, is a military airport,
though civilian flights are permitted when the fields can
be spared from military uses. Dabolim Airport sees a large
number of tourists arriving from London Gatwick airport every
year. In addition to regular flights, the airport handles
a large number of chartered flights.
The Mormugao harbour near the city of Vasco handles mineral
ore, petroleum, coal and international containers. Much of
the shipments consist of minerals and ores from Goa's hinterland.
Panjim, which is situated on the banks of the Mandovi, also
has a minor port, which used to handle passenger steamers
between Goa and Mumbai till the late 1980s.
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