TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Inter-state bus owners and tourist coach owners see red as the Margao Traffic Cell has banned entry of buses into Margao from 7 am to 8 pm as part of measures to ease traffic congestion.
As per the letter of Traffic Inspector, P B Shirwaikar, Margao traffic cell, the district magistrate has banned entry of buses from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala etc., besides private coaches of hotels/factories from entering Margao city from 7 am to 8 pm. As per the notification, these buses are now required to proceed via Eastern bypass/Nuvem bypass to KTC Margao and the interstate bus stand.
Private coach owners, however, said that the blanket ban on the entry of the buses will hit them since they let their vehicles on hire for weddings, excursion and funerals and have to necessarily enter the city. Wilson Viegas said most of the hotels are located inside the city and the circular/notification would imply that the tourists will not be able to board the buses near the hotels.
“We have not come across such a notification anywhere in the country. Nowhere, tourist buses are banned from entering the city. If the notification is implemented strictly, we will not be able to collect students from schools for excursion or drop people near the churches in times for funerals or nuptials”, Viegas said.
That’s not all. Viegas pointed out that most of the fuel pumps in the commercial capital are located right in the city, adding that the buses
cannot avoid the city for refuelling. “Most of the bus owners operate on credit basis enjoying a special relationship with
the fuel pump owners based
in the city.”
