BASURI DESAI
The pay parking scheme envisaged by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) for the State’s capital city is in a mess similar to the parking confusion in the city. Not only has it not been effectively implemented, as the contractor is finding it difficult to paint and mark the designated areas for parking, the contractor is collecting parking fees at only a few of the designated areas since the scheme was implement from May 7.
The reason for the delay, as cited by the contractor, is that at some places the painting and marking of parking slots has not been done and so it becomes difficult to collect parking fees in these areas. That could change in the coming days, as CCP Commissioner Dipak Desai has set June 7 as the deadline for the contractor to complete the painting, marking and installation of signs.
Desai told Herald that from Monday the marking and painting of parking slots will be done at night as during the day the flow of traffic and the spaces being already occupied by vehicles obstructs the work, “I have asked the contactor to do the marking and painting during the night. I have already intimated this to the traffic cops and I will monitor it during the night with my staff,” Desai said.
Collection of parking fees at 18 different lanes in the city will necessitate almost 100 workers. So far the contractor has appointed 40.
CCP sources said that the contractor is facing problems at the taxi stands in front of various hotels in the city which are not designated areas for parking by taxis. There have been argument and even some violence between the taxi operators and the contractor and workers who had been deputed to paint the parking slots in the areas, sources said.
Taxi operators (except for black and yellow cabs) do not have a reserved taxi stand and as per law they have to operate their taxis from their offices or residences and not from open spaces in cities and towns where the taxis end up blocking space on roads.
CCP has concluded that if taxi operators do not allow the marking and painting of parking slots, they will double the parking fees for commercial vehicles.
“If pay parking is not implemented effectively this time then it will remain only on paper the way it has been in the past. We are not trying to generate income from this but we are trying to discipline traffic and parking,” Desai said.
As per the notification, CCP will be charging Rs 10 for four-wheelers and Rs 4 for two-wheelers for the first four hours. Within these four hours a car owner can park the vehicle anywhere in the city.
