So after may fits, starts and controversies including that of payment of lease rent, the multi-level parking facility in Panjim was finally inaugurated. The intent is positive in as much as this is meant to decongest vehicles moving into Panjim. However questions need to be asked, with the intent to find solutions, on whether the multi-level parking facility in Panjim, is just a one off lip service towards coordinating urban mobility and decongesting the urban centre. Alternately, it remains to be seen if this is a beginning of an inclusive project where de-congesting and mobility is in a seamless partnership.
As things stand now, the detailed city mobility plan which envisaged several parking spots in strategic entry points of the city connected by a network of feeder transport, in the form of buses, seems to be distant point of discussion with no implementation.
Decongestion can only be achieved if people using private motorised transport are willing to let go. But this will not happen unless tempting alternatives based on age groups are not just offered and a sensitisation programme launched to ensure the migration towards new forms of transportation.
There is actually a plan in place The pan sector prioritisation plan drawn up the CCP and Imagine Panaji (an organisation of stakeholders formed for the purpose of planning for a SMART city) has envisaged a transport synergy consisting of buses and ferries, non-motorised transport, smart bike sharing, smart ticketing and pedestrianisation. This would be augmented by smart parking and a command and control centre.
It is absolutely non-debatable that the backbone of this new integrated mobility mechanism will have to be a smarter bus transport system which would carry people forward from multi-level parking spots at the entrance point of the city. This would need an Automatic Vehicle Location System or GPS on buses, development of Real Time Passenger Information services (RTPIS) and a Passenger Information System (PIS) for bus stops.
This is a kind of an integration that is needed simultaneously. And that is the key. Panjim cannot wait for one multi-level parking to commence while the completion of an integrated urban mobility and decongestion plan lies in limbo. With the first cache of Rs 100 towards the Smart City is in the kitty, funds should not be a problem to implement this. But a different kind of investment is also needed on an ICE project – Information Communication and Education. It is this alone which will make a mobility cum de-congestion plan work. For example if cycle tracks are a part of Panjim’s beautification, them the rent-a-cycle scheme should become a reality. Secondly if all forms of transportation and parking have to be linked though a Smart card, then public sensitisation has to be quickly done followed by a backend system to link smart cards to bank accounts or credit card accounts, for recharging cards.
This is not rocket science. Even small towns in the west and the east have bought into these systems years ago. Therefore, Panjim cannot wait for more than five months for the inauguration of one multi-level parking sport when this is just a drop in the ocean of urban mobility. The bigger picture cannot be held hostage to piece-meal progress, and this is everyone’s responsibility. The applause for what has been done has to be red flagged by what has not, since the latter is critical.
The cheer for the just inaugurated multi-level parking in Panjim, therefore, has to be muted for the sight of the big picture not to be lost.
