Team Herald
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Friday intensified its drive against handcarts by confiscating five for obstructing traffic movements at various locations in Vasco city area.
According to MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik, similar drive would be conducted periodically to bring in discipline among handcart operators.
Naik claimed that MMC had granted permission to operate handcarts with the condition that the operators would be carrying out business within the allotted locations. However, he said, several citizens from the port town recently brought to his notice that many handcart operators were violating the condition of operating within the allotted space and moving on the road thereby obstructing free flow of traffic.
“We had already warned the handcart operators to position their carts in a place where they would not obstruct traffic. However, they failed to follow our instruction. Therefore, we decided to go ahead with seizure of handcart found obstructing traffic,” he said.
Warning that the drive would now be conducted daily, Naik appeal to the handcart operators to do business without putting people into inconvenience or else face action.
Meanwhile, the operators whose carts were seized by MMC on Friday claimed that they have all licence issued by the municipality. However, they said, after the MMC officials displaced them from their earlier location (near Vasco fish market) they were forced to find an alternate location. The new location, they claim, is not conducive for their business.
They also requested MMC to come out with some proper plans so that all handcart operators in Vasco gets a fair opportunity to do business with ease.
