MARGAO
Nine years after the Margao Municipal Council proposed a multi-level parking lot with a concrete ramp, the civic body is now exploring the possibility of opting for hydraulic/ mechanical parking lot in the commercial capital to ease parking.
Reason: There’s been no taker for the tenders, first floated by the Margao civic body and now by the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to set up the multi-level concrete structure to accommodate vehicles. That the civic body is now toying with the idea of going in for hydraulic or mechanical parking lot became evident when representatives of a Mumbai-based company held a power point presentation for the Margao councillors and officials on Friday.
After the presentation, Margao Municipal Chairperson Damu Shirodkar said the Mumbai-based company has held the presentation for the councillors to explain to them the features of the hydraulic/ mechanical parking lot. “We have found out that the hydraulic/ mechanical parking would consume less space compared to the conventional concrete multi-level parking structure,” he said.
He said the company is ready to maintain the multi-level parking lot for a period of five years and train the Municipal staff for its operations after the five-year period.
To a question, he said the Margao Municipal Council will decide on the parking fees in the event the project finds favour with the Council.
Sources pointed out that the a number of private players involved in setting up mechanical parking lots across the country had been approaching government agencies with offers to resolve the parking blues affecting the towns and cities.
GSUDA officials pointed out that it is purely for the Margao Municipal Council to take a call on the question of opting for hydraulic/ mechanical multi-level parking lot. “Since the company has held a power point presentation for the Margao councillors, it’s now purely for the Council to take a call before the process is carried forward,” GSUDA sources informed.
It was around nine years ago that the Margao Municipal Council had laid the foundation stone for a multi-level parking lot at the old fish market site behind the Municipal building. The project, however, never saw light of the day for a host of reasons, the prime reason being prospective contractors shying away from taking up the project.
