BASURI DESAI
The insufficient parking space at the Dona Pula jetty has caused a menace in the surrounding areas right up to the NIO circle. The jetty, which is being visited by the hundreds of tourists every day, is also seeking attention from the authorities for its repairs.
The vehicles are seen parked around the NIO circle, on Rajbhavan road and the road leading to Goa University and Bambolim. The parking of the tourist vehicles and the tourist buses has caused inconvenience to residents, traders as well as the tourists.
Although traffic police are posted at the circle they have been forced to allow the vehicles to park on the open roads due to lack of space for parking.
“Hardly 15 or 20 vehicles can be parked at the jetty. In the absence of space the vehicles have to come in reverse for about a kilometre. So some of the tourist vehicles prefer keeping their vehicles at circle,” said Anand Nikam, a tourist taxi driver.
The approach road to the jetty, which was in bad state for the past two years, has now been repaired but the basic problem of parking has not been solved. The vehicles are being seen parked on both sides of the approach road from the NIO circle to jetty.
“We are hosting another tourist season within a week’s time and this ugly sight of vehicles parked on the roadside is not good for the image of Goa,” said a Dona Paula based travel agent.
“In the last one decade there is a rise in the number of hotels and restaurants in the vicinity. Most of them have no sufficient parking areas available. Tourists who are accommodated in the hotels are even parking their vehicles on the road side,” said Inacio Fernandes, a local.
The jetty is also in the deteriorating state and portion of it has become a very dangerous spot. The portion is open but has been barricaded, lot of tourist were seen taking the pictures and selfies after crossing those barricades.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral has said that the place, being a tourist spot, the property is not owned by them. He mentioned that the maintenance of the jetty is being done by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).
“I will put the matter in the board meeting to write it to the government to handover the property to GTDC,” he said.
He mentioned that if the jetty is formally handed over to them then only the GTDC can look after the maintenance.
