SHOAIB SHAIKH
shoaib@herald-goa.com
The handcarts, which had been missing for a while after being confiscated and banned on the 18th June Road in the capital, have resurfaced causing inconvenience to the public once again.
Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has been caught off-guard as, the CCP Commissioner, Dipak Desai, said, “Our people have been carrying out the drive regularly. I will instruct them for action immediately or I will do it personally.”
However, the CCP’s Market Committee Chairman, Uday Madkaikar has taken a softer stand and informed that until the municipality is unable to implement the handcarts policy in its totality, the problem would not be solved.
He said “We are in the process of completing the procedures that we have been planning to put in place and that should be completed in a week’s time. Till then we will have to wait.”
The re-emergence of the handcarts has begun causing inconvenience to the motorists as well as those walking on the footpaths.
While in the absence of pay parking in the city, motorists have been placed into inconvenience as the parking space is occupied by customers buying goods at the handcarts.
Madkaikar said that the CCP’s legal cell has provided the required affidavit draft which will have to be sworn by every vendor and owner of the handcart before being provided with the new number plates.
He informed that as a policy 18th June road will be declared as a ‘no-handcart zone’.
“Once we start implementing the policy, there will be no more handcarts on the 18th June Road as all these handcarts will be provided with space either near the ferry point or opposite Inox or at Miramar”, he stated.
Nevertheless, specific spots will be identified to avoid complete inconvenience to people who wish to buy goods from the handcarts, he said “A few of them will be given designated spots and space and they will not be allowed to spread all around and occupy the streets.”
