13 Dec 2017 | 06:33am IST
Police’s hands tied to prevent haphazard parking of vehicles
Road Traffic Authority had issued a no parking notice in January this year; Vehicle owners use empty spots filled up by MMC for parking
Bus owners have stopped parking their vehicles around Ravindra Bhavan but they have found new parking places at the land filling done by the Margao Municipal Council around the KTC bus stand and most probably will also use the place where currently the fair is put up opposite the SPDA complex
On January 2, this year, the Road Transport Authority had decided to prohibit parking of heavy and commercial vehicles buses, coaches, tempo travelers, etc, on the stretch of road from Old Market circle to Ravindra Bhavan and from Eurico Silva’s house to Ravindra Bhavan circle.
Since the bus owners are not prohibited from parking their vehicles at these places where they used to earlier keep their vehicles, they have now started parking them on the land filled by the Southern side of the KTC bus stand.
Besides, some were also seen parked on the huge stretch of land that has been filled up by MMC opposite the KTC bus stand where presently the fair for the feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is underway. Buses are also seen parked along the incomplete western bypass that is not being used since it is not complete.
The Road Transport Authority had earlier decided to allot land for parking buses and coaches but the same has not been done till date. Deputy Superintendent of Police Traffic Prabodh Shirvoikar admitted that the parking lots have not yet been identified and promised to take up the matter with the Deputy Collector who is recently appointed.
“So long as there is no objection from the land owner or people there is no harm at the moment if the buses are parked near the KTC bus stand,” he said while reiterating the need to demarcate a parking lot for these buses.
It is significant to point out that the coaches and buses are given permits only after confirming that they have a personal parking space for the vehicle. But once the permit is obtained, the owner parks it on any convenient public space.
Meanwhile, Margao Traffic Cell is handicapped in disposing vehicles that have been abandoned by the owners and seen parked by the road side in different places. It may be recalled that after removing 22 such unclaimed vehicles in February this year, the traffic cell had issued notices to owners of 30 other vehicles abandoned by the roadside.
While some of the vehicles have been removed by the owners the traffic cell did not have the exact number of vehicles that have been removed. “We removed two vehicles that were abandoned on the Navelim Church to Calcondem road and also some along the Eastern bypass,” said Police Inspector Mohan Gaude.
‘The main problem we face is that the owners have changed their residence and we are not able to trace their new place; hence even notices cannot be served to them,” he said.
When asked why were they not declared as scrap and disposed off, he said there is a long procedure involved in doing that as the vehicles will have to be auctioned and till that time the vehicles continue to be parked by the roadside at different places.
