MAPUSA: In a first of its kind, the Calangute Panchayat and the local traffic cell have jointly prepared a traffic management plan for the village for coming Christmas and New Year season. As per the plan, five police inspectors and 700 other staff will be deployed for traffic management.
Besides the traffic plan, the panchayat has also identified six pay parking lots in different areas of Calangute and Baga, which will have in-charges to take care of the parked vehicles and their belongings. These parking lots will be provided with mobile toilets, illumination and garbage disposal facility.
The six parking lots are at St Alex Church, Botkevad, Arpora Bridge, Fat fish, Nazri Resort and Baga.
The panchayat has decided not to allow parking of outstation vehicles anywhere other than at the six designated lots. However, the tourists and visitors will be provided with local bus service to reach their destination on a nominal charge of Rs 30. The panchayat has arranged 14 minibuses for this purpose.
Sarpanch Anthony Menezes informed that many tourists after arriving here on their vehicles, cook and eat food wherever they find some place; they even stay in the vehicles instead of hotels. “To avoid this, no outside vehicle will be allowed outside the six parking lots. This will also help to avoid traffic congestion,” he said.
He said that if anyone is found parking vehicles and cooking food outside, they would be booked for public nuisance under Section 268 of IPC.
