Team Herald
PONDA: The implementation of the Ponda pay parking scheme, announced by the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC), has been delayed due to slow progress in developing the necessary infrastructure. The lack of sufficient parking spaces has resulted in vehicles being parked along roadsides, leading to frequent traffic congestion.
PMC Chairperson Anand Naik had announced last year that the pay parking system would be introduced in Ponda city from the first week of January 2025. The initiative aimed to regulate haphazard and long-duration parking, ensuring better availability of parking spaces for visitors to the town, which serves as the taluka headquarters and hosts several government offices.
While some parking areas have been identified and demarcated, the system is yet to be implemented. In certain locations, work on infrastructure is ongoing, with the Public Works Department (PWD) recently dumping truckloads of rubber stones to create a parking base near the Ponda Police Station. Additionally, abandoned and scrap vehicles have been removed, and the old Shastri Hall building has been demolished to make way for parking.
According to Naik, the delay is due to ongoing coordination with multiple departments, including Traffic Police, PWD, and Gas Authorities, to ensure that roads are not dug up after the pay parking system is introduced.
PMC has identified around 1,500 parking lots, including 600 for cars and 900 for bikes. Naik stressed that once implemented, the system should not be disrupted by roadworks.