TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The decision to implement pay parking in the capital seems to have become a victim of political expediencies within the Corporation of the City of Panaji.
If you go through the minutes of various meetings, history of the politics within the Corporation indicates that when a group is in power and when they have the force of expectations on them, then they push for pay parking. But when a group is in Opposition, then they feel that it is their duty to oppose whatever the Ruling group proposes. The same is the case with pay parking, even as it is much needed.
Allied to politics within the corporation are the various business persons who do not stay in the city, but have their business interests in the city. They are vehemently opposed to pay parking as they feel that once pay parking is implemented then they would lose customers. However, given that public opinion would probably be against them in case they directly opposed measures to clear the city of idle parking and traffic chaos, their opposition is disguised under the reason that they have not been consulted. They also demand that there has to be a holistic plan, etc.
However, while these measures are getting endlessly delayed, the residents of the city are forced to bear with the traffic chaos and struggle to find parking place for their vehicles in the city.
