A facsimile of the notification issued in 2014.
PANAJI
A day after the Bombay High Court at Goa issued a series of directions to ease chronic traffic congestion in Panaji’s casino belt along the Mandovi riverfront, attention has turned to a long-standing but poorly enforced no-parking notification covering this very main arterial DBB Marg of the capital city.
The entire stretch of Dayanand Bandodkar (DB) Marg, from Divja Circle to Miramar Circle, has officially been a ‘No Parking’ and ‘No Standing’ zone for all categories of vehicles since October 1, 2014.
The notification was issued by then North Goa Collector Neela Mohanan, IAS, under Section 116 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and remains in force to this day.
Mohanan’s notification had also directed the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to erect the required signboards along the route. However, despite the notification being in place since 2014, enforcement has remained inconsistent, allowing indiscriminate parking and traffic bottlenecks to persist in the busy corridor.
The issue has gained renewed relevance following the High Court’s intervention on Wednesday aimed at decongesting the casino zone which is one of Panaji’s most traffic-choked stretches.
Civic rights activist Roland Martins said the court’s directives should act as a catalyst for stronger coordination among government agencies responsible for traffic management and road safety.
Martins pointed out that the need for inter-departmental cooperation was reiterated during the most recent meeting of the North Goa District Road Safety Committee, chaired by Additional Collector I, Pravin H Parab.
According to Martins, officials highlighted the importance of maintaining proper records, conducting regular joint inspections and periodically reviewing the effectiveness of traffic-related notifications.
He said, his road safety advocacy group GOACAN has repeatedly called for greater coordination among departments dealing with traffic regulation and enforcement.
Martins also stressed the need for joint night patrols by the Traffic Police and the Transport Department, particularly in view of the growth of nightlife and tourism-related activity in the State capital.
“Panaji is a critical tourism hub. Proper traffic management and road safety require the involvement of all stakeholders, including the CCP, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa,” he said.
