PANJIM: The State government has arranged for battery operated buggy (handcart) services to ferry senior citizens and handicapped from the parking lot to Se Cathedral, where the relics of St Francis Xavier would be kept for veneration, during the 44-day Exposition, beginning November 22.
The State government exposition committee has in principle approved the buggy service during the exposition to cater to senior citizens, the sick and handicapped devotees. A total of 10 such buggies would be deployed at the venue.
“There would be arrangement of buggy services to ferry the devotees who are senior citizens, the sick or handicapped. They would be taken from parking lot or from their vehicle to the church directly,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, (traffic) Dharmesh Angle told media persons. Along with buggy services, 11 KTC buses would be deployed to ferry devotees from the parking lot to the exposition spot, he added.
The relics will be kept for veneration from November 22 to January 4, 2015. Over half a million devotees from across the world are expected to visit Goa for the exposition.
Angle said that the stretch of road between Old Goa Church junction to Gandhi Circle will be closed for all types of vehicles except emergency vehicles like Police, Ambulance and Fire Brigade. The ring road connecting Old Goa Church junction to St Catherine Chapel to Arch of Conception to petrol pump to Old Goa Police Station to MLA Madkaikar’s house to Old Goa Church junction will be one way.
The traffic cell has identified nine parking spots – Bhakia property, Budhashet property, Ela Farm, animal husbandry premises, open space, open ground near Pinto garage and two more open plots and courtyard of St Cajetan Church.
Sign boards would be displayed all over the exposition area, easing the traffic flow, he said. Traffic police have also worked out proper diversions from Panjim to Old Goa via Ribandar, Panjim to Old Goa via Kadamba by-pass, for South Goa and vehicles coming from Ponda and Diwar area.
