Panaji: With the rise in taxi operators blocking the parking space for the public in the state capital, the traffic cell of Goa police has decided to stop tourist taxi parking in the city except in the designated parking space for them.The traffic cell has written to the North Goa collector to issue a notification that “all tourist taxis shall not park in the public parking lots and that they be parked in their notified parking lots only. While picking-up/dropping-off customers, they shall halt for not more than three minutes”.In the letter, DySP (traffic) North Goa, Sudesh Narvekar, said that Panaji, being the state capital, has a heavy influx of vehicles throughout the day. “Further, in the absence of an adequate number of off-street parking facilities, most vehicles are being parked along the roadside, thereby reducing the carriageway.”“Considering the influx of vehicles, the existing on-street parking is inadequate. This situation is further aggravated by the taxi operators as they occupy on-street parking throughout the day, thereby depriving parking spaces to others who visit the city for a short duration,” Narvekar said.Traffic police said that jams are witnessed on most busy roads of Panaji, with double parking adding to the chaos. “With no proper signboards, most of the time, vehicles enter no-entry zones. The signboards were also removed during the smart city work and still not erected in most places,” police said.Meanwhile, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has raised concerns about deteriorating road safety, traffic congestion and chaotic parking affecting residents and business operations in Panaji.GCCI’s logistics committee chairman Chandrakant Gawas led a delegation to North Goa collector Ankit Yadav. The delegation reported that rent-a-cars and taxis parked indiscriminately across the city prevented parking access for citizens.
