TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Despite junk and non-functioning vehicles being an eyesore to the capital city, it is incomprehensible that neither the traffic police nor the Corporation of the City of Panaji is able to rid Panjim of this menace even as they block premium parking spaces in crowded localities.
Panjim has parking space for only 2,200 four-wheelers and 5,500 two-wheelers.
Panjim Traffic Cell’s three-year-old drive to curb junk vehicle nuisance in the city, has taken to task over 200 persons, who dumped their vehicles on different streets. In 2012, the Traffic Cell for the first time identified 97 such vehicles. In 2013, they identified 106. This year the traffic police have so far located 48 discarded vehicles.
Inspector Dharmesh Angle informed that unclaimed vehicles identified during two years have already been towed away to the Bainguinim yard and Goa Reserve Police ground at Altinho. Some have been towed and kept outside the city traffic cell blocking parking space. The remaining were lifted by owners after paying penalty, including towing cost to the authority concerned.
Around 74 unclaimed vehicles have been shifted to Bainguinim yard, while 24 two-wheelers are kept at the other two temporary parking spaces. The Traffic Cell has requested the Corporation of City of Panaji in February via a letter to dispose these vehicles. A response is still awaited.
“Once vehicles are abandoned for a long time, other vehicle owners too are encouraged to dump their vehicles in a similar manner,” Angle said, warning that they would lift the vehicles which are lying abandoned for more than 10 hours, as per the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.
Certain vehicles remain unclaimed for various reasons. The department has come across instances wherein the owner is either killed in a fatal accident and the family refuses to accept the ill-fated bike/car or the owner is bedridden and cannot claim it.
Essentially, parking is going to be a continual problem. Road lengths have been the same over the years, but the numbers of cars are on the rise. Around 5,000 to 6,000 cars visit Panjim in a month. Unless we get into public transportation, we can never get out of this situation. There has to be a carrot and stick approach with the stick being pay parking. This is done throughout the world. All developed cities follow this approach. If you want to get your car to work, you have to pay. If not, use public transport. However, creating parking lots is also not the solution; these will obviously outrun their capacity
— Rahul Deshpande, Urban Planner
I think that most parts of the city should be made into pay parking, including market areas. Pay parking should not be only on the 18th June Road. Options to sort out parking issues in the city are limited. Pay parking is one and the other is finding some areas to park
–RANJIT SHETTY, HOTEL OWNER, 18TH JUNE ROAD
