I looked for a proper parking space in Mapusa Municipal Market on January 31, at about 11 am and after much difficulty I found a parking place for my scooter.
Taking care to park it in a proper manner, I diligently parked it among others scooters on the western side of the gate. Before parking I had noticed that other scooters too were parked in an orderly manner and most had ensured to maintain a 1 meter space between the gate and the scooters for public access.
I returned soon, as I had a small job with the frame maker and to my utter surprise found that all scooters, including mine were nowhere to be seen. It was then a passerby informed me that the scooters were lifted away in the municipality van by the municipality staff, with the help of traffic police to the police station.
As I approached, I could not help but notice a fellow scooters quietly paying a fine of Rs100 to the municipality staff, who issued a receipt and Rs 100 to the traffic police, who also issued a challan. It appeared to me as if it was a partnership drive!
As a responsible citizen I too quietly paid the fine, but was restless for answers. I chose to highlight this issue not in anger or frustration as I had to pay Rs 200, but to make aware to the public that despite knowing that parking is a big problem in Mapusa municipal market area, the municipality knowing well the problem, choose to pick up scooters, instead of finding a solution.
In fact, this seems to be a ploy to collect money every day, as thousands of people enter the market area daily and on finding no space to park, try to keep their vehicles wherever they find a little space but the heartless traffic police in connivance with the municipality continue to harass people without finding a solution.
Surprisingly, in the municipal area on main roads, junctions and lanes parking and other business are going on in violation of traffic rules, but they are not taken to task or fined. Another fact that is ignored is that in the municipal market all the footpaths are encroached and congested by traders, with goods and equipment kept on the footpath, however their goods are not confiscated by the municipality, who are keen on targeting two-wheelers.
In fact, to make things easier, the municipality should delegate some staffs to manage the parking or make it by encouraging ‘pay parking’ or even construct a much-needed parking space to collect money legally, but the use of draconian rules to penalise scooterists while pandering to the others section is discriminatory and against the principles of justice.
I fervently request the concerned authorities to respond to the problem soon in the interest of the general public.
