MARGAO
A written complaint from a citizen brought Margao traffic personnel on the ground on Wednesday to rein in rent-a-car operators whose vehicles were found parked in open spaces in the commercial capital.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered “ how come the police acted only after receiving a written complaint and a video from citizens when dozens of rent-a-car and bikes are parked illegally across the city right under the nose of the Men-in-Uniform?
Two police constables were drafted by the Margao traffic cell to check the parking of rent a cars at the starting point of the Margao ring road near Cine Lata--La Flor hotel stretch on Wednesday morning.
When the policemen descended at the stretch, they came over half-a-dozen rent-a-cars parked along the stretch. The duo tried to call the operators based on the telephone numbers displayed on the vehicles, only to find them not picking up their calls. And, when two operators finally made their presence felt they argued that they had brought their cars for washing at a nearby car wash centre.
As the police made it clear to the operators they are liable to pay challans for parking the vehicles on the stretch since they have been sent to the spot by higher ups, throwing up questions why the police or the RTO turn a blind eye to the parking of rent-a-cars and bikes along road sides all across the city.
Both the RTO and traffic police may claim that issuing challans to the rent a bikes and cars is an ongoing exercise and the exercise, many a times is punctured by political intervention, but the question remains unanswered “ has the drive in any way changed the ground reality in the city.
If sources are to be believed, rent-a-cars are believed to be parked even in government complexes and properties, indicating the political patronage enjoyed by the operators.
