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VASCO
Bus operators along the Vasco-New Vaddem route stopped their services in a flash protest on Saturday morning, following frequent confrontations with locals over parking of vehicles at the last stop in New Vaddem.
The flash protest by the bus operators left several passengers affected during the first half of Saturday.
As a mark of protest, all local buses plying between Vasco and New Vaddem were parked at the last stop in New Vaddem, till authorities resolved the right to an area called the Last Bus Stop, where buses would halt for five minutes and then turn around for the return trip.
Vasco Traffic Police officials intervened and got the bus operators to resume later in the day. The aggrieved bus operators have decided to meet the transport department and Dabolim MLA and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho to intervene in the matter.
According to sources, the small area at the Last Bus Stop, being used by buses, was also being used by locals to park their vehicles leading to daily confrontations between locals and bus operators over right of space since the last few days.
Locals have claimed that the area at the Last Bus Stop was initially meant only to enable buses to turnaround, but was now being used by bus operators to park and wash the buses. “There was no bus stand at the site and buses were only allowed to turnaround, but they have now begun parking buses and washing the vehicles, leaving the place dirty,” complained a local resident, Sarvesh Gaude.
“The parking of buses causes congestion and ambulances or fire tenders cannot pass through this area. Besides, bus drivers and cleaners are not well mannered and they don’t care for locals,” said Gaude.
Bus operators, however, claimed that locals had recently begun parking their cars in the area, to inconvenience bus operators and dissuade them from using the area.
“There is a very narrow road leading to the last stop and people have parked cars and bikes all along. Where should we park and where do we turn,” asked bus driver Ramesh
Naik, adding, “We have requested our owners to resolve the issue. We cannot move out from here nor arrive here and if locals don’t want us here, we don’t want to transport them as well. We will tell our bus owners to identify a new location as the Last Bus Stop and get it notified with authorities.
A bus owner, Anand Pednekar, said the buses had been operating from 6.30 am to 9.30 pm each day.
“We have around three buses usually parked at the Last Bus Stop for only five minutes, because that is the gap between trips by local buses. We are tired of requesting the locals. I appeal to authorities and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho to intervene in the matter,” said
Pednekar.
