Team Herald
MARGAO: In the middle of the COVID lockdown 1, there were a few Margao locals who jokingly remarked that they were missing the crowd and the buzz on the streets. Well, they have nothing to miss now, but it remains to be seen if it’s a dream come true or the return of nightmares.
The descent into chaos coincides with the rise in COVID cases and the rise in cases in the two pristine villages of Raia and Curtorim. Cars entering no entry zones, double or wrong parking, reckless private buses on the roads are familiar sights which have returned.
Meanwhile, the number of people using their cars instead of two-wheelers, for apparent safety against the possibility of catching the COVID virus in public is increasing. Monsoons are a time when the people of Margao and other areas of Salcete come to the town with their four-wheelers. This has put immense strain on the town. Double parking and that too on both sides of the roads is rampant in Margao leaving only one lane for the vehicles travelling on the road.
The Traffic Cell of Margao has been proposing pay parking spots and designated parking areas to be marked within Margao for several years and the Margao Municipal Council is in no mood to pay heed.
The Margao Traffic Cell In-Charge Police Inspector Suraj Samant said that he has written to the Deputy Collector and the Margao Municipal Council for having CCTV cameras in Margao.
“All our staff are on the field and we are doing enforcement as effectively as possible. With the CCTVs all my men who are today on the job controlling the traffic situation in Margao and enforcing the necessary steps need not be on the roads. The CCTV cameras can simplify at the same time put discipline among the commuters,” he said.
Police Inspector Samant said that he expects more help from the MMC to tackle the problem of traffic in Margao. What he really means, is that there appears to be no meeting ground between the municipal body and the town police.
Manoj Shirodkar from Gogal area said, “There is not one building in Margao which has a dedicated parking area or underground parking. Margao is no longer commutable.”
Big commercial complexes in Margao have underground parking places but do not allow the vehicles of their own customers to park. Ultimately, these vehicles then spill over to the roads creating havoc for traffic.
The multi-storey Pay Parking proposed by the MMC at the old fish market is not a garbage dump. The project has never taken off and today there are over 500 vehicles without a parking place in Margao.
