CANDOLIM: Complaints of exorbitant fees being charged for parking along the coastal belt, where the tourism department and the panchayats have their respective pay parking zones, has become common now.
Calangute Sarpanch Shawn Martins told Herald that in Calangute there is pay parking facility at the beach, Tito’s lane and Baga beach.
“The charges are as per the tender document. We have different rates for different areas. The parking at the beach area is handled by the contractor belonging to the tourism department. The rates are somewhere around Rs 100 for a four wheeler to park for four hours,” Martins said.
The pay parking contractor at Tito’s lane, Alex Andrade said that he is handling the parking in that area since April 2018.
“We charge parking fee of Rs 50 for hatchback or sedan cars and Rs 75 for SUV’s for a period of four hours. While tempo travellers are charged Rs 100 and two-wheelers are charged Rs 30. This contract is tendered by the Calangute panchayat. During the off season on a daily basis we receive 50 two-wheelers and 20 four-wheelers. While during the season time we get around 100 bikes and 60 cars on a daily basis. We do not charge the locals for parking in Calangute there are two other areas for parking,” Andrade said.
A local said that the car park at Candolim charges very exorbitant rates while at Baga the pay parking fee is much cheaper. “There are no boards and neither the rates put up at the Candolim car park area. The people collecting the money are not even Goans,” he said.
A shack owner from Candolim told Herald that pay parking was started at Candolim beach promenade by the panchayat few months ago and the rates charged are exorbitant.
“The Fort Aguada helipad area is also being used for parking. The contractors are not charging Goans but outsiders are charged Rs 100 for four hours and Rs 30 for the two wheelers. There is also a toilet facility in the parking area,” he said.
