The Calangute panchayat has decided to crack the whip against unauthorised parking of vehicles on the road side in the beach village which inconveniences pedestrians and affects the flow of traffic.
Initiating the process against illegal parking of vehicles, the panchayat has invited quotations from contractors to tow away the vehicles parked next to the roads and in the no-parking area.
Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira said action against unauthorised parking was long overdue as it blocks access of the public, pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
He said ‘no-parking’ boards have already been erected in various parts of the village but despite these boards, people continue to park their vehicles on the road side, thus blocking traffic movement.
Finding parking space along the beach belt was turning out to be a huge problem as rent-a-bikes and rent-a-cars occupied most of the available parking space.
Illegal parking was taking place on the main road from Calangute Tinto (junction) to the beach and the road from Baga circle onwards, thus depriving parking space to tourists and locals alike.
“The rent-a-bike owners are supposed to have their own parking space for their vehicles. Most of the traffic jams in Calangute happen due to this illegal parking done by the rent-a-bike owners. Also, if I have a hotel then I should park vehicles in my premises and not on the roadside. The general public should not be inconvenienced,”
Sequeira said.
He said the panchayat will work in tandem with the Calangute traffic police to rid away the problem of illegal parking on roads.
“We had a meeting with the traffic police and they have promised to extend full cooperation to the panchayat in this drive against illegal parking,” the sarpanch informed.
He said no one will be spared during the drive, including the tourists who indulge in unauthorised parking.
The sarpanch further informed that henceforward no buses will be allowed to park in front of the St Alex Church, Calangute.
“We are going to fence the place in front of the church as big buses are being parked bang opposite the church. Secondly, the whole area was being littered by the tourists arriving in these buses. The area is a no parking zone but no one was implementing it,” he said.
During the last gram sabha, several locals had raised the issue of illegal parking taking place in open places and in front of their houses especially during the peak tourist season.
The villagers had demanded the panchayat to take action against such vehicle owners.
