Agitated locals gathered along the Baga road challenging the GTDC's move to collect parking fees on a PWD road on Saturday evening.
MAPUSA
The popular Baga road which normally is packed with tourists on the weekend witnessed some tense moments on Saturday evening as locals complained about the new pay-parking system implemented by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC).
The agitated locals said the new system was introduced arbitrarily without taking the circumstances into consideration.
Many of those who park their two-wheelers and four-wheelers are locals who are employed in the hotels, guest houses or shacks along the coast, expressed anger over GTDC collecting parking fees as the road belongs to the PWD and not the property of GTDC.
“For the last seven years, the local panchayat was collecting a nominal parking fee and managing the traffic in the area very well. This stretch of the road belongs to PWD. But two days ago some people claimed that the GTDC has taken over the parking in the area and began to charge high fees for parking in the area. We have no problem if GTDC charges fees on its property but they cannot charge us on a PWD road,” a local said.
The agitated locals gathered in large numbers and vowed not to allow the GTDC contractor from collecting the parking fees in the area.
As the situation was getting tense, Calangute Police rushed to the spot to avoid any law and order situation.
Calangute MLA, Michael Lobo also reached the spot and interacted with the angry locals and tried to calm nerves.
“The GTDC has started charging fees for parking on the road. The corporation owns property nearby where it charges fees for parking which is fine. But this stretch of the road in Baga belongs to PWD. How can they charge fees for parking on the road? Here, locals, mostly fishermen and shack owners park their two-wheelers. We will talk to the chief minister and the tourism minister to resolve the issue,” Lobo said.
The agitated locals said the new system was introduced arbitrarily without taking the circumstances into consideration.
Many of those who park their two-wheelers and four-wheelers are locals who are employed in the hotels, guest houses or shacks along the coast, expressed anger over GTDC collecting parking fees as the road belongs to the PWD and not the property of GTDC.
“For the last seven years, the local panchayat was collecting a nominal parking fee and managing the traffic in the area very well. This stretch of the road belongs to PWD. But two days ago some people claimed that the GTDC has taken over the parking in the area and began to charge high fees for parking in the area. We have no problem if GTDC charges fees on its property but they cannot charge us on a PWD road,” a local said.
The agitated locals gathered in large numbers and vowed not to allow the GTDC contractor from collecting the parking fees in the area.
As the situation was getting tense, Calangute Police rushed to the spot to avoid any law and order situation.
Calangute MLA, Michael Lobo also reached the spot and interacted with the angry locals and tried to calm nerves.
“The GTDC has started charging fees for parking on the road. The corporation owns property nearby where it charges fees for parking which is fine. But this stretch of the road in Baga belongs to PWD. How can they charge fees for parking on the road? Here, locals, mostly fishermen and shack owners park their two-wheelers. We will talk to the chief minister and the tourism minister to resolve the issue,” Lobo said.
