PANAJI
Ponda is one of Goa’s most cramped-up towns in terms of the availability of space for parking, but the woes of vehicle users could soon be alleviated in the town if the Ponda Municipal Council implements a few measures it plans to put on the ground, including creating new parking spaces and introducing pay-parking by the end of August.
For starters, the civic body has already demolished one of its old buildings where it plans to develop vehicle parking services, including an area with a drive-in and drive-out design.
According to PMC chairperson Anand Nayak, the civic body is at an advanced stage of introducing pay-parking in some select zones of the town.
“We are hoping to implement pay-parking before Ganesh Chathurthi. Presently, we have already created some pay-and-park spaces,” Nayak said, adding that technical formalities, including the administration issuing the formal notification, are awaited.
Traffic congestion due to roadside parking has been more the norm than the exception in Ponda, particularly in the areas around the fire station, State Bank of India branch, and the taluka headquarters building at Tisk-Ponda.
“Tempo-trucks and other goods-carrying vehicles often stop by the roadside to unload and supply goods to the shops. The deployment of adequate traffic police personnel as a deterrent against haphazard parking in the town also has to be simultaneously worked on,” Nayak added.
