MARGAO
Exactly 11 years after the foundation stone was laid on September 15, 2015, for a multi-level parking facility aimed at addressing Margao’s chronic parking woes, a critical question confronts the city’s policymakers and planners: How many parking facilities does Margao need in 2026, given the exponential rise in the vehicular population over the past decade?
The question assumes significance against the backdrop of repeated assurances by PWD Minister Digambar Kamat that work on the long-pending multi-level parking project would commence soon. According to the tender documents, the facility is expected to be completed within a year of commencement of work.
The moot question, however, remains: Does Margao still need just one multi-level parking facility, conceptualised 11 years ago, or should the commercial capital now plan for two or three parking projects to cater to its growing requirements?
Margao has three sizeable open spaces that could potentially be utilised for parking projects — the old Margao bus stand, the old fish market and the pick-up stand. While the proposed multi-level parking facility is to come up at the old fish market site, behind the Margao Municipal Council building, sources say the time has come to plan additional facilities at the old bus stand and the pick-up stand to meet future parking demand.
“The government is implementing a project that was mooted 11 years ago. The project was conceptualised to meet the requirements of that time, but it is yet to see the light of day. While commencing work on the project should be accorded the highest priority, the government should also plan similar projects at the old Margao bus stand and the pick-up stand to cater to future requirements,” a citizen remarked.
Meanwhile, the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) has issued a Letter of Acceptance to Nagpur-based M/s SMS Ltd for the construction and commissioning of a Rs 7.77-crore automated electro-mechanical six-level parking facility in the commercial capital.
GSUDA awarded the contract for the design, engineering, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of the six-level, overground puzzle car parking system to the Nagpur-based company after it emerged as the successful bidder. The tender floated by GSUDA had an estimated cost of around Rs eight crore, while the contract has been awarded for Rs 7.77 crore, excluding GST.
The facility will be Goa’s first automated puzzle parking system and is being projected as a significant step towards modern urban infrastructure and smart parking solutions in the state.
However, with Margao’s vehicle population having grown substantially since the project was first conceived, the larger question now is whether one long-delayed parking facility will be enough — or whether the commercial capital needs a broader, multi-location parking strategy for the years ahead.
‘Monument of failure’: Wreath laid at ‘missing’ project
MARGAO: Prabhav Naik of Madganvcho Awaaz placed a wreath at the foundation stone of Margao’s missing multi-level parking project on its 11th anniversary, calling it a “Monument of Failure”.
He said 11 years after the foundation stone was laid, the project remains a symbol of unfulfilled promises and political failure.
The NGO has already red-flagged the proposed hydraulic parking project at the Old Fish Market on the grounds that the project is being pushed without a proper study on its feasibility and viability. “Margao does not need another project that is imposed without adequate study and consultation, only to become a white elephant at the cost of public money. The failure of the Multilevel Parking Project should serve as a warning, not a precedent,” Naik said.
