Even after a clear notification from the District Magistrate to stop operations of warehouses, there has been no respite to the traffic congestion caused due to the entry and parking of heavy carriage vehicles, mostly six wheeler trucks in Margao town.
The overall traffic situation in Margao has been on the downward track as far as improvement is concerned. This has been causing nightmares for the residents and the vehicular traffic around Margao areas. Recently the rush at the theatres in Margao was in news for different reasons altogether. Irresponsible people park their vehicles on the entrances and access roads of people living in flats, thereby causing a harrowing time for the residents every single day. Aquem, Pajifond, Margao central area and Borda areas have a huge concentration of commercial complexes and shops. The people who come to these places find it impossible at peak hours even to walk to the destination due to indiscipline and too much of parking in the areas.
The complexes in Margao and Fatorda areas are residential as well as commercial. A single complex has several offices and there are several employees working in these offices. The absence of underground parking or no parking facility has been forcing these employees and also the visitors of these offices to park in the no parking areas and also behind vehicles, blocking their movement completely. Finding a car park or a two wheeler parking spot is as difficult as finding water in a desert and the matters are getting worse. For example, the lane opposite to Hari Mandir has three goods transport hub warehouses. This area sees lots of trucks coming here every day disallowing even one vehicle to pass through the jam. Sadly there has been no action against the said violators for decades.
Surya Velip who is a frequent visitor of a developers office in this area said, “I come with a two wheeler and every day is a challenge to save myself from the street madness and jams. The war is not over. After reaching, I need to find a parking spot which I may never find on weekdays.”
The trucks park in the morning and leave late evening after the unloading, causing nuisance all day. There is no traffic police to control or pay attention at the situation nor there are cameras here which will facilitate to book the violators. Not to be forgotten, the pedestrians on these lanes are forced to walk on the road due to rampant encroachment by establishments. Mannequins, boxes of goods, and sometimes vehicles are parked right on the footpaths all over the town.
The commercial town of Margao has been battling with its parking issues for nearly 15 years. Approximately 82,787 vehicles enter the city from all directions out of which 10 percent are considered to be inter-state private vehicles going towards Karwar or Belgaum and the rest 90 percent of vehicles are from the town and the adjoining areas of Navelim, Chandor, Sanvordem, Quepem which come to the town for the market place. This results in traffic jams and traffic related violations like road rage, parking in no parking areas, no entry and others.
A proposal for pay parking spots in Margao to enforce discipline was sought by the Traffic Cell of Margao. The pay parking areas and model proposed by the Traffic Cell is intended to accommodate and charge over 250 vehicles parked in the town.
A pay parking plaza too has been passed and will be soon tendered for Margao.
The ever increasing number of vehicular traffic has put enormous pressure on the existing road network and parking spaces in the town of Margao. The old plans and methods of execution of traffic discipline in Margao have become obsolete and the Traffic Cell along with the MMC will have to work together to get the people out of trouble.
The Traffic Police Cell of Margao has suggested for much needed pay parking places around Margao and is waiting for the Margao Municipal Council to respond. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Prabodh Shirvoikar said, “The proposal for pay parking has been sent regularly to the MMC. Pay parking has been suggested so that there is control over long duration parking and also justice to the short time visitors of the town.”
The PI of Traffic Cell said that they have sent a proposal to the MMC to get the parking zones and areas marked with strips and boards again as the earlier markings have got worn off.

Team TNV