The ambitious ‘Ring Road’ project, which was meant to ease traffic congestion and provide parking for almost 1,000 cars, is now also in jeopardy.
“If the ring road is functional and the Margao bus stand is shifted to the site opposite the railway station, 30 to 40 per cent of Margao’s traffic problems would be solved. We have moved a proposal to the Road Transport Office and Collector of South Goa to shift the bus stand. The District Collector Dr Sachin Shinde has taken up the proposal on a war footing as he understands the need for the same,” said South Goa Traffic DySP Gurudas Mhapne.
South Goa and All Goa Private Bus Owners Association President Shailendra Faldessai felt the shifting of the city bus stand wouldn’t affect the buses of Margao and surrounding areas, but opposed the shifting of the bus stop to opposite the railway station. He said, “We provide almost Rs 90 crore revenue to the government and we are ready to sit and solve the problems, but for the betterment of people. We are okay with the bus stand being shifted to the KTC bus stand as that can help.”
In addition to the ring road project and proposed shifting of the bus stop, various proposals such as shifting of schools and petrol stations out of Margao have not made any headway. Salcete Deputy Collector Ajit Panchwadkar said they were trying hard to resolve the issues and that the files were forwarded to the Margao Municipal Council and Town and Country Planning Department (TCP).
“The three petrol pumps are planned to be shifted to a site opposite the district hospital, schools are planned to be shifted to a plot of 1.45 lakh sq mts in Davorlim, and emphasis has also been placed to open the long-choked ring road. All of this essentially needs political will and a push by the local representatives, which is not seen at all,” said Panchwadkar. He added that the major proposals had been sent to TCP.
