MAPUSA
Interior furnishing work undertaken in an illegally constructed shop on the passenger platform at the KTC bus stand in Mapusa has once again raised eyebrows.
GOACAN which had raised the issue with the senior officials of the KTC has called for the long pending demolition of the shop and restoration of the seating area at bus bay no 5 in the interest of public safety. In a letter to the Deputy Director of Transport (Administration) Nancy Fernandes, GOACAN has pointed out that the illegal shop constructed by dismantling bus bay no 5 has still not been demolished although the Managing Director of Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) Derrick Pereira Neto was told to do so and restore the bus bay and the sitting area (benches used by women & senior citizens).
"In the last few days we have noticed that the three shutters have been painted and interior furnishing activity is being carried out in a great hurry so as to begin commercial activity in the said illegal shop,” said Roland Martins, Co-ordinator of GOACAN.
GOACAN had written to the Director of Transport more than a year back that an encroachment of the passenger seating area and access to bus bay no 5 was being undertaken to construct a tea stall permitted by KTCL at the Mapusa bus stand.
This encroachment was noticed during the Inspection of the bus stand conducted by the Monitoring Cell of the North Goa District Road Safety Committee was listed as a direct impediment to fire safety due to the enclosure created by this shop construction.
The matter was discussed at subsequent meetings of the North Goa District Road Safety Committee chaired by the District Collector wherein it was assured that the illegal shop would be demolished and the seating area bus bay no 5 would be restored in the interests of public safety. “It's disappointing that instructions of the Director of Transport and the District Collector are being bypassed to satisfy some petty commercial interests at the KTC Bus Stand at Mapusa,” Martins said.
