Parking issues raised at smart city meeting

PANAJI: Frustrated with hordes of tourist buses parking haphazardly around Dona Paula circle, residents on Thursday appealed to the government, and specifically to Goa Forward Party leader and former Taleigao MLA Atanasio Monserrate, for an “immediate” solution to the problem.
“December is around the corner. Give us an immediate solution. This is a genuine request,” said Dona Paula citizen and architect, Bryan Soares during a public consultation on Imagine Smart City Panaji Development Limited’s Redevelopment project of Dona Paula jetty and pedestrianisation of the approach road.

Tourists visiting the jetty, defecate anad urinate around the Dona Paula circleand thus cause congestion that the traffic police cannot handle, citizens complained. Senior citizens said that tourist buses are parked in their colonies, blocking access to their homes. They suggested that traffic police clamp tourist vehicles chaotically parked in the area.

Devika Sequeira, a resident, told Monserrate that it is time the government start considering how mass tourism inconveniences locals, and added that residents cannot be displaced for the sake of mass tourism. Residents also told smart city officials that they would continue to be agitated until an immediate solution to the parking problem is arrived at.

While citizens alleged that there are plans for a hotel project on the 16,000-odd sqm plot acquired by the government for parking tourist buses, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited chief executive officer and managing director Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri asked the residents not to speculate and said the land would be “earmarked purely for parking”. Monserrate asked Smart City officials to make provisions for parking in the area before going ahead with the redevelopment of the project of the jetty.