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Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service
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MMC facing uphill task in shifting garages, creating hawking zone
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If relocation of petrol pumps or for that matter staggered timings
for city schools is just hanging fire, two years after the administration
adopted the traffic plan, the authorities were found wanting too in shifting
garages; creation of a hawking zone and maintaining footpaths free of
encroachments.
And, mind you, there exists over 75 garages and fabrication workshops
operating along pavements and roads, if one goes by the admission of officials
in the know. A sub-committee comprising of the MMC Chief Officer,
Sub-divisional Magistrate and the traffic cell in charge was even constituted
to oversee the shifting of these garages and workshops out of the city.
Interestingly, no one knows the fate of this committee since two of the
members as of today stand transferred while the chief officer retired
since then.The incumbents, it appears have not met so far and does not
seem to have any idea of the existing committee.
Shifting of garages and fabrication workshops was recommended in the traffic
management plan. "These garages on pavements and roads are a major nuisance
and hindrance to the movement of traffic," the plan states.While there existed
around 50 garages operating in the pavements and roadsides when the Margao
municipality undertook the survey, many more have been added, not only in the
city but in the outskirts as well.
An official in the know lamented that unlike other cities in the country,
garages
are not concentrated in any designated area but are spread across wherever
one finds a spare parts shop.
On the identification of hawker zone, the less said is better. Like his
predecessor,
the present Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Gokuldas P Naik too promised
to earmark a hawking zone, but in vain. Even the committee that prepared the
traffic plan had called for the early identification of the hawker zone as
hawking
is rampant along the city streets.
"This leads to major traffic snarls and hampers pedestrian movement,"
the traffic plans stated and called for putting an immediate stop to all types
of hawking within Margao. In fact, the plan went a step further by
recommending
stoppage of hawking by fruit vendors, flower vendors, cloth vendors and other
types of hawkers in the city.
Two years now and all these recommendations still remain on paper, despite
the promises and assurances by the civic officials.The rampant encroachment
on pavements and footpaths is another area the civic and other authorities
have failed to tackle head on. The traffic plan had called for doing away with
all such encroachments but sadly nothing much has changed on the ground.
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HERALD 10/01/03
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GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE
Documentation + Education + Solidarity
11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507
Tel: 2252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
website: www.goadesc.org
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Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy
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