After years of neglect, there’s a ray of hope that multi-storey parking lots may finally become a reality in the Commercial capital. The Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) has accorded its approval for two parking plazas – one at Margao existing pick-up stand and the second one along the Old Market-KTC bus stand.
The two projects estimated to cost GSUDA approximately Rs 27.8 crore will be executed once the Agency receives the nod from the Margao Municipal Council.
The project at the pick-up stand envisages a multi-storey parking lot having both conventional and mechanical facility with a capacity to meet the requirements of 173 cars and around 40 two-wheelers. The project will cost an estimated Rs 18.9 crore.
The second parking plaza mooted on the Margao Municipal land along the Old market-KTC bus stand opposite, will have a capacity to accommodate around 320 cars and 547 two-wheelers. The project will cost GSUDA around Rs 8.9 crore. “Both the parking projects have been cleared by the GSUDA governing Board subject to concurrence from the Margao Municipal Council”, informed GSUDA Member Secretary Elvis Gomes.
He said the project design has been explained to the Margao City Fathers and officials, adding that GSUDA is open for suggestions. ‘As far as the parking lot at the pick-up stand was concerned, we evaluated three options, whether to go mechanical, conventional or to design the lot enjoying both the features. Taking into account the power problems, it has been decided to go for both the mechanical-conventional facility,” Gomes added.
This is the first time in recent years that GSUDA has proposed to create parking facilities in the commercial capital. Though the Commercial capital is blessed by as many as three open spaces in the heart of the town – at the bus stand, old fish market and the pick-up stand – not a single space was developed by the authorities for multi-storey parking despite an acute problem of parking plaguing the commercial capital.
