Team Herald
CALANGUTE: The Calangute Village Panchayat along with the Traffic Cell has started to seize all vehicles abandoned by their owners in open spaces at the tourist destination.
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If unclaimed, the seized vehicles will be sold at an auction, the local body stated. The Calangute Panchayat in February had issued a public notice warning the owners to remove them before the end of the month failing which the panchayat will confiscate/attach the vehicles.
“There are two-, four-wheeler vehicles which have not been utilised for many years and are parked and abandoned on road widening areas, open spaces, building societies, panchayat properties, parking lots and other areas, and the same is creating nuisance for pedestrians, tourists and occupants of the vicinity, traffic congestions and obstructions to free flow of traffic,” the panchayat notice stated.
Despite the notice, none of the vehicles were removed or moved by the owners, Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira said.
“These abandoned vehicles cause hindrance to traffic. One of these vehicles was on the road for the past three years, which was also removed. A notice would be issued to the owners of the seized vehicles and fees would be levied on them. If in case these vehicles are not claimed by their owners, then they will be sold by auction,” he said.
With locals going for rent-a-bike and rent-a-car tourism schemes, owners of vehicles have been abandoning their two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles when they become dilapidated. According to the panchayat, there are around 30 four-wheelers and a large number of two-wheelers which are lying abandoned, all of which will be seized during the drive this week.
