Team Herald
CANACONA: Residents of Pansulem, Kindlem, Rajbhag, and Patnem in Canacona have threatened to stage a rasta roko if no action is taken against the vendors who sit on either side of the road at the Chaudi-Pansulem bazaar. They claimed the vendors obstructed the smooth flow of traffic and burdened the locals.
Patnem local Santosh Pagui stated that Canacona police were spectators and the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) was ignoring the issue. Former CMC Chairperson Santosh K Gaonkar pointed out that the situation was the worst on Saturday, which was the weekly bazaar day. Traders and hawkers from across Goa and Karnataka sold their goods on the roads and blocked the flow of traffic. The inconvenience to motorists was compounded by cattle and dogs that roamed freely on the streets.
Gaonkar further said that during his tenure as chairperson, he had taken the initiative to start the weekly bazaar so that Canacona locals could get fresh and cheap vegetables. However, CMC had lost control over it and the vendors who sat on the roadside. Buses plying on that route also made authorized stops, which lead to traffic snarls, noise and smoke pollution.
Policemen deputed to monitor traffic at the market stated that they were below the rank of ASI and, as per law, could not book cases against lawbreakers. They were assigned there only to plead with the offender to obey the law.
Signboards that indicated parking for different types of vehicles were installed at various places near the market. However, the same are ignored by the hawkers, who occupy the parking spots from early morning till late evening.
Shopkeepers are also inconvenienced as potential customers drive away when they do not find a parking spot. A local businessman, who was facing a drop in business divulged that CMC possessed ample space and that the Council could relocate the roadside vendors there. Once that was done, traffic congestion would decrease and CMC would get additional revenue by collecting trade taxes.
