TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

MARGAO:  In a bid to decongest the old bus stand, Margao traffic police on Tuesday stopped parking of buses at the Old bus stand as per the notification dated 1988 issued by the district collector.

The new traffic measures took bus commuters by surprise as the changes were not adequately publicized by the traffic police. An elderly commuter traveling to Shiroda-Ponda told newsmen that she has been waiting for the bus for the last half an hour, but in vain.

City bus owners led by Anwar Sheikh called on DySp traffic Guruprasad Mhapne and PI Roy Pereira and requested that the buses be allowed to make a five minute halt to collect the passengers while leaving the stand.

He later told newsmen that the traffic police have acceded to their request to make a five minute halt at the bus stand to collect passengers before heading to their destinations.

DySP Guruprasad Mapne told Herald that the old bus stand is no more a bus stand as per the 1988 notification by the district collector, adding that the buses have to only drop and pick the passengers from the stand. “We have agreed to allow them a two minute halt to these buses to collect passengers. We are monitoring the situation”, he said.

Replying to a question, DySP Mapne said that the bus stand will be used to parking of light motor vehicles, adding that his office will write to the Margao Municipal Council to clear the illegal items from the old bus stand.