Over the years, slow and steadily several roads have been made as pay parking (PP) by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP). Now, 13 more would be turned into PP and in the fourth phase some more roads would be added (TGE 06.12.2024). It is awful that most of the roads in Panaji are being turned into PP while these are in horrible conditions. There are also cases of over-charging by attendants and their bad behaviour.
During the Smart City works, the CCP had stopped collecting PP fees from 23rd March till 31st May, the promised date when the city was to be ready. Though the works continued (and at places still going on or incomplete), PP was resumed. Instead of turning every road into PP, the CCP needs to erect the missing sign boards, appoint traffic wardens and increase policing to monitor the traffic.
The amount that the CCP gets from the PP contractors is peanuts than the pending crores of rupees from vendors, shops, offices and houses in Panaji. The priority should be to collect these dues rather than making people cough up money for PP. Apparently, some vested interests are taking advantage by making most of the roads as PP. We should not be shocked if very soon the roads from Dona Paula to Bambolim road, to Cabo Raj Nivas and even the internal roads are turned into PP.
