This story is from November 20, 2014

Cashing in on the facility

As TOI’s Series Highlighting Goa’s Parking Issues Concludes, We Focus On The Unique Problems Vexing Stakeholders Along The Popular Baga-Calangute-Candolim Belt
Cashing in on the facility
Joseph Zuzarte
Calangute has a rather peculiar problem–it’s parking zones have been converted into business opportunities. That people spar for control of these areas is indicative of it being a lucrative business, what with hundreds of vehicles driving into the coastal tourism hub every day. Traffic proliferates further during the peak holiday season. It is not unusual to see locals demand for fees from motorists who park in front of their houses or shops, or drive them away if they refuse to pay up.
Others simply set up temporary stalls in the open spaces in front of their properties to prevent any ‘free’ parking, while also earning revenue from the makeshift structures. The parking pandemonium is exacerbated by rent-a-bike and taxi operators, who flout rules by stationing their vehicles along the roadsides in a bid to attract customers. In an attempt to resolve the issue, the state government has developed a few parking areas for visitors to the beach, with the main Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) parking lot situated near the Calangute shopping centre (to the left of the Bandodkar statue). The tourism department, on the other hand, monitors spaces near the Calangute Residency and the football ground. Besides this, the Calangute village panchayat developed an open space in front of the panchayat ghar for two-wheeler parking last year. Aparna Mayekar is the contractor for the parking area near the Calangute shopping centre, for which she pays a sum of `41,950 to the GTDC every month. Parekh V Shirodkar is the contractor appointed on behalf of the tourism department, while Charles Fernandes is the contractor at Baga. What is astonishing is that Fernandes pays a whopping `2,33,375 as rent per month, while Shirodkar pays a little over `2 lakh. It’s no wonder then, that pay parking attendants swiftly approach motorists who enter these areas. While the rates are fixed and publicly displayed, there are often complaints of overcharging, especially when managing vehicles becomes tough. Heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses command a parking fee of `50 for the first three hours, and ` 20 for every subsequent hour. Mini-buses and the like are charged an initial amount of `40, with `10 per hour following the lapse of the first three hours. Likewise, light motor vehicles have to shell out `20 and `10, while two-wheelers are charged `10 and `5 respectively. The parking area near the Calangute shopping centre can accommodate only 100 two-wheelers, while 450 cars can be parked in the other two lots. Besides these ‘official’ spaces, private fields and tenanted comunidade land opposite the St Alex Church at Calangute are also used as pay parking zones for outstation tour buses during the peak season. The GTDC is currently developing around 50,000 sq m of land at Baga. Once ready, the area will comprise a massive parking lot, a jogging track, and a garden among other facilities. It is expected to be ready by December. To address the mounting demand for parking zones in Baga, the Communidade of Calangute, has developed a pay parking facility opposite the Casa Portuguesa restaurant which can hold approximately 150 cars and 200 two-wheelers. Candolim, on the other hand, has no such pay-parking facility. Parking is free for all at the main entrance to the Candolim beach opposite the Silver Sands resort, and also at the expansive parking lot at the helipad on the Aguada plateau. The latter is exclusively used by tourists and visitors to the fort. Although there was also a proposal to develop a parking facility for tourists interested in taking boat rides at Sinquerim, it came to nought on account of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) restrictions.
Calangute has become overly crowded with tourists who bring in their own vehicles. Parking is a problem because of this. Converting certain roads into one-way routes and creating permanent parking slots for buses and other large vehicles on the outskirts of Calangute are two probable solutions to the issue Jaywant Palekar | motorcycle pilot
I believe there are adequate parking spaces in Calangute. Crowds come in only during the peak season, which is when parking becomes a hassle. Otherwise, there isn’t that much of a rush because movement is constant. Then again, it would be a good idea to have more parking zones in the nearby fallow lands Naren Deukar | retailer
Solution Zone
lMotorists should be dissuaded from parking their vehicles along road sides and urged to use the allocated zones instead lA system should be put in place to check overcharging of parking fees by the designated contractors lResorts and restaurants situated along the beach belt should provide adequate parking facilities for their patrons lLarge vehicles such as tourist buses should be compulsorily parked on the outskirts of Calangute and Candolim
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