Smart mobility strategy for Panjim is immobile for five years

PANJIM: Try getting to Panjim on public transport and getting off at the main bus stop and trying to find your way around Goa’s capital.

An erratic and often unavailable bus service, no regular taxis and a moody three-wheeler service can get you stranded. The much touted smart city plan was built around these challenges.

But implementing the highly paid for mobility plan prepared by international consultants has become the biggest challenge of them all.

There is no headway made by the government in implementing ‘Goa State Mobility Strategy’, which was prepared by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) through a consultant agency five years ago.

The mobility plan, which was prepared in 2018, was approved by government only in September last year as a result the implementation is way behind time.

The strategies are envisioned for improvement of regional mobility and city mobility. It recommends strategies for better jetty connectivity, airport connectivity, multi-model transport integration, mobility hubs, network of bus stops, freight corridors and freight timing for truck movements and improvement of footpaths.  

Environment activist and educator Vishal Rawlley claimed the government has not taken up implementation of the mobility plan in earnest as nothing can be seen on the ground.

“Decongesting the city is part of the mobility plan. Only one multi-level car parking facility and pay parking have been introduced in the city, yet we see but the congestion of Panjim remains. There is hardly any pedestrian space left. Walkability of the city has reduced significantly for elderly and the differently-abled,” Rawlley said.

Rawlley further said that the authorities should consider resolving the last mile connectivity within the city.

Anant Agni, Secretary of Movement for Amity towards Roads in Goa (MARG) said the government is “irresponsible and insensitive” as it only prepares plans, but implements nothing. 

“The Government should improve the public transport system and the last mile connectivity so that people are encouraged to consider public transport,” Agni added.

Co-ordinator of GOACAN Roland Martins, who is one of the members of the said task force on mobility, said that Goa has had good road connectivity between the urban areas and the villages of Goa however this road network has been over stretched with the increase in the number of road users.

“After the Mobility Strategy Plan was prepared it has not been discussed in length as the task force has met only on two occasions and there has been no subsequent meeting,” Martins said.

A senior official of IPSCDL said the implementation of the mobility plan has to go be executed by the concerned departments including the Transport Department. 

Rajan Satardekar, Director of Transport, informed that the “Mobility plan is a  broad plan which has to be implemented step by step to have better connectivity and environment-friendly transport infrastructure.”