Coming Monday, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) will implement fresh measures to address concerns raised by residents of the heritage areas of Fontainhas and Sao Tome, about the “unruly” behaviour of tourists.
CCP inspectors and workers will be deployed in these heritage areas of the capital city’s Latin Quarters to monitor and respond to disturbances caused by tourists.
CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate said, “The idea is to curb nuisance by tourists in these areas. An inspector and a few workers will be stationed there to see if the situation improves. If not, we will re-evaluate.” The idea is to assess the effectiveness of the deployment of inspectors and workers before considering further steps.
Hailing the move, Aloo Gomes Pereira, a resident of Sao Tome, said, “I welcome the decision to station an inspector and a few workers in the area to stop these people from dancing on the roads for filming reels. It is an absolute pain and I hope the administration takes strict action against these people.”
“I welcome this move by the administration and I hope they deter the Instagrammers from dancing on our streets,”said another resident on condition of anonymity.
“It is so noisy and this is largely a residential area. Let’s hope for the best,” the resident said.
It may be recalled that in October last year, the Panjim Police had deployed a robot vehicle and two constables to manage and regulate unruly tourists at São Tomé and Fontainhas.
The action was taken following complaints from the residents that tourists are causing nuisance and even invading their privacy. The residents had written to the CCP Mayor seeking his intervention in the issue.
In the letter, 80 members of the Community Association of Residents and Establishment (CARE), São Tomé - Fontainhas had stated, “The unstructured and unregulated tourism activity being unleashed in the area is greatly affecting the lives of the residents in the Latin Quarters, Sao Tome and Fontainhas wards of Panjim.”
The residents had met the Mayor demanding streamlining of tourism-related activities in their areas. They had also demanded a centralised parking solution for tourist vehicles and other non-resident vehicles.
The Mayor had assured the residents that he would collaborate with relevant departments to facilitate direct interactions between residents and officials. The goal was to devise effective solutions to the ongoing challenges posed by tourism in the Latin Quarters, ensuring that the unique character of São Tomé and Fontainhas is preserved while addressing the needs of both residents and visitors.