THE GOAN NETWORK
CANACONA
Amid growing concerns that a large number of tourists have been turning away from Palolem beach due to non-availability of parking spaces which has affected businesses in the famed coast, two councillors from the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) have planned a solution.
In a bid to dissuade tourists from avoiding Palolem on account of limited parking spaces, CMC Vice-Chairperson Gandesh Madganvkar and Councillor Laxuman alia Bakal Pagui (a former CMC vice-chairperson) are planning a signboard with a map of Palolem at the entrance to the beach to provide the much-needed information of availability of parking spaces/points at any given time.
Whenever, a vehicle enters Palolem village, the board will highlight/blink the availability of parking spaces so that the driver can follow the direction and park the vehicle as per their convenience.
It is also learnt that that signboard will blink at the particular vacant parking spaces available the time, be it day or night, if the parking space is available at the particular time.
According to sources, the initiative will be a joint venture of both the councillors from their personal resources, so that visitors and tourists do not avoid Palolem beach. It is hoped that with this information on the parking status, tourists will visit Palolem beach and prolong their stay in hotels and resorts, providing more business to the shacks and restaurants at Palolem.
The CMC, which has a small parking lot at the main beach entrance, has been struggling to get the government’s approval for a state-of-the-art parking lot and widen the narrow road to ease the increasing traffic congestion at the popular beach.
