A few handcarts have been shut down or displaced in the last few days and the excuse by them is that the MMC has been putting pressure on them to either relocate because of traffic and parking issues or to start after 7 pm and not before 4 pm again because of peak hour traffic.
“Our peak business hours are from 4.30 pm to 6 pm as office goers and workers head home hungry and catch a quick bite or take a parcel for their children. While the kind of business after 7 pm is limited to only a few people on their way home from office or tuitions and so it’s not viable, explains Malani Choudhary who sells Badam Milk and Dry Fruit Ice cream at Gogol and has shifted location and returns to his previous location of two years after 9 pm but says people feel he has shut down and his business is seriously dented.
Similarly two ros omelet gaddas, two chat handcarts in Borda have shut down while one has relocated to another location along the four roads because of complaints of locals of obstructing traffic and another Shawarma van has relocated to Ravindra Bhavan.
Market Chairman and Margao Municipality Deputy Chairperson Tito Cardozo explains that on record there are just 152 handcarts registered across Davorlim, Margao, Aquem, Fatorda, Borda, Housing Board, Marlem, Comba, Khareband and other parts of the 25 ward MMC council.
“But there are massive illegalities, firstly the registered carts are sub leased and overpriced, surprisingly on one registered number there are two handcarts operating in two different areas, thirdly handcarts are supposed to be mobile and to be cleared from the location at the end of the day but these hand carts are perched on cement slabs and built up area and are permanent and often encroach on private and public property,” explains Tito.
Tito says that the MMC inspectors and handcart owners have been playing hide n seek for way too many years and the raids and seizing of these handcarts is only temporary and hence he wants to create a unique ID for these hand carts which cannot be manipulated while he admits his stint as Market Chairman cannot be one of sitting in an office but he needs to step on to the ground to change the scenario.
