Team Herald
PONDA: Due to increasing traffic congestion and parking problems during the Ganesh festival every year in Ponda city, especially in Ponda market area, the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC) has this year too decided to shift the Matoli Bazaar to Airport Road (wide road existing behind Ponda Market).
For the second consecutive year, over three hundred Matoli vendors will sit in row and conduct business, without obstructing traffic.
However, taking note that the sudden shifting of Matoli Bazaar last year had put the public and vendors into certain hardships, including difficulty in parking, the PMC, in its meeting decided to provide special provisions with adequate parking facility and proper traffic management during festival this year.
This was stated by Councillor Irvin Soares, who is President of Ponda Clean and Green and member of traffic management committee formed by PMC.
It may be recalled that since several decades, Matoli vendors would sit along the road, with their produce, especially goods required to decorate the Matoli of Ganesh.
However, some vendors doing regular business in the market area came to the site and protested against the council’s decision and opposed the shifting of Matoli Bazaar, claiming that they would be deprived of their livelihood, while the temporary vendors coming to sell their goods during the period would do brisk business.
According to Soares, the Council would ensure that neither vendors, public nor traffic would be affected. He said special arrangement have been made as thousands of people from the taluka visit Ponda main market for buying and selling festival-related goods. The Matoli Bazaar commences two to three days ahead of festival and concludes after a week. This was putting a tremendous pressure on the main market, which is narrow, hence PMC decided to shift the Matoli Bazaar to Airport road last year, where it is convenient for the vendors and buyers.
When asked about the inconvenience faced by the public last year, despite shifting the Matoli Bazaar, he said the basement parking facility at Market Complex would be utilised, where 200 vehicles can be parked at a time, including car and bikes.
“We will appoint two security guards for supervision of entry of vehicle and exit of vehicles. Proper lights have already been installed in the vast parking area at the market complex. We will also take help of traffic police for better management of traffic,” he said, seeking cooperation of locals, whose houses are located close to the market area, including parking during the festival.
