Market traffic forces people to turn to sales

Pratik Parab

pratik@herald-goa.com

The parking problems in Margao have, nowadays,   gone from bad to worse. The Gandhi Market and the new market areas and streets are the worst affected. To add up to the problem the two-wheeler lifting vehicle provided by the MMC to the Traffic Police Cell has gone off road for over a month. This has had a cascading effect on the parking and traffic woes in Margao. Traffic problems of the town are becoming a driving factor for the people to shy from the Margao markets and chose convenience in the form of exhibitions cum sales.

The debate on how the exhibition-cum-sales have reduced the economy to losses is on. But the real problem in the recession of the Gandhi and the New Market lies in the problems and hardships which are being faced by the people who come to the markets for shopping. A two-wheeler driver will need over 10 minutes to search a place to park and for a 4-wheeler the time may be unending.

From Ganesh Chaturthi onwards the Margao market sees a surge of people coming to buy goods for festivities. Herald did a round of the market streets and saw vehicles parked on the sides of the road which is already a single lane road. In addition to this, people have now begun parking two-wheelers on both the sides of the roads. 

One of the representatives of the Market Association Devidas Borkar said, “The problem of parking plaguing the business of Margao is a major factor for recession and it has to be solved.” 

“A multilevel parking plaza at the Old Market and Pickup stand is the need of today. The markets of Margao are a one-stop shop for people for all their needs and barring these factors the market is still undisputed,” Devidas added. “One person from the Traffic cell to man this road would reduce the problem to a great extent,” Devidas demanded.

The Traffic Police Inspector of Margao, Mohan Gawde, had his side of the story.  “For the last one month the vehicle and the men provided by the MMC for lifting vehicles have stopped, reason unknown. I have sent a reminder to the MMC to get the vehicle soon,” said Mohan. “The number of days the vehicle will be out of service, the more people become complacent of civic discipline,” said Gawde. 

The chief officer of MMC, meanwhile, said that the vehicle will be back on road by November 14 as it is waiting for clearance from the Director of Transport.  

New Market and Gandhi Market have been entirely gulped down by the lack of parking space which has forced the people to park in haphazard manner. This often translates into spiralling traffic jams in core areas of the town.  The parking space at the Gandhi Market has vanished due to the uncontrolled encroachments.

The situation is worst in these areas during festivals.