8 months on, no sign of pay parking in Mapusa market

NT NETWORK
MAPUSA
Eight months after the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) proposed to start pay parking in Mapusa market, there is no sign of its implementation due to which chaos continues in the market. However, if the MMC chairperson Sandip Falari is to be believed, pay parking will be started in the city by the end of December.
Parking in Mapusa city has always been a nightmare especially on Friday as it is the bazaar day. People not only from North Goa but also from other states visit the market for their daily requirements. Also vendors come from all over the state and neighbouring state, occupy vacant parking slot and conduct business due to which the market turns chaotic.
In order to resolve the parking issue, MMC had on March 22 resolved to start pay parking in the municipal market. Its engineering section after studying the proposal had sought to notify the road along the Union Pharmacy till Aldona taxi stand till Axis bank for two-wheeler parking. It had also identified parking slot in front of first row of shops as well as towards the rear with two wheelers on one side and four wheelers on other side and was to be implemented soon but MMC failed to implement it due to various reasons such as the process of shifting of vendors and then the monsoon.
However, MMC has now floated a tender for supply of thermoplastic paint which will be used for marking of parking slot in the market. The tender should have been ideally floated over the last eight months so that marking process could have been started after rains and the delay could have been avoided.
On more than three occasions, Mapusa merchants association has approached the civic body with a delegation inquiring about the implementation of pay parking as the open vacant spaces were being encroached by new daily vendors with MMC officials making assurances of starting pay parking as soon as monsoon ends.
President of Mapusa merchants association Ashish Shirodkar said, “MMC had assured us in the month of June that before Ganesh Chaturthi festival pay parking will be started in the municipal market but MMC on the pretext of rain did nothing. Now rains are gone still it has failed to take any step towards implementation of pay parking.”
He further said, “If there was any will to enforce pay parking, then the municipality could have taken steps towards its implementation. They claim that a tender has been floated now but same could have been done by floating a short tender of 15 days and the parking problem in the market could be solved.”
He also claimed that there was no need for the municipality to float tender for thermoplastic paint instead it could have used normal paint and the amount spent on thermoplastic paint could have been used for replacing broken slabs of drains.
“Thermoplastic paint has reflective feature which is required on highways and other busy roads but using it for marking purpose is not essential as it could have been done with normal paint but we are ok if MMC wants to do it with best option despite of bad roads and broken slab of drains on which pay parking would be possible,” added Shirodkar.
MMC chairperson Sandip Falari said, “Implementation of pay parking was delayed during monsoon as the drains were left open to avoid water logging in the market. We have already floated a tender worth Rs 3.40 lakh for supply of thermoplastic paint and within a week’s time, work order would be granted and by December we shall see pay parking in the market area.”