Team Herald
PANJIM: The citizens of Panjim are confused over the obscure ‘stickers’ issued by the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) as ‘parking passes’ in view of pay parking system being implemented across the capital.
Residents of the Sao Tome area have been issued ‘stickers’ for their vehicles sporting CCP logo. However, it doesn’t specify if the sticker is a parking pass or issued for some other purpose. Surprisingly, the stickers also do not have a vehicle registration number or the owner’s name on it, a demand made by the councillors.
Ward councillor Shubham Chodankar said that he has already seen the stickers issued by the CCP which are pasted on vehicles in Sao Tome area. However, he said, that he is unaware if it is a free parking pass for the residents.
“I have seen it but I am not aware what kind of pass are these that have been given to residents of Sao Tome. I was told to submit details including the names and vehicle numbers of residents of my ward who require parking pass. So I am presently preparing the list,” Chodankar said.
Councillor Vasant Agshikar said that if the Corporation is issuing parking passes for four wheelers of city residents then it should consider giving first priority to the areas which are affected by pay parking and not Sao Tome area, where pay parking is not implemented.
“A resolution was passed in the CCP meeting giving commitment to the residents of the city that the civic body will provide parking passes to those who are affected by pay parking. But it’s been long that the assurance given is not fulfilled by the Corporation,” Agshikar lamented.
It is pertinent to note that in August 2021, the CCP had decided to allot a single parking pass per house number to families, who don’t have any place to park their vehicles.
When contacted, CCP Commissioner Agnelo Fernandes said that the Corporation has not started issuing parking passes for residents as it is still being “fine-tuned”.
“We haven’t started issuing car pass…nothing so far. We are going to start issuing it likely in February; we still have to fine tune a bit, as small problems are cropping up,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes said that the stickers given to residents of Sao Tome area are not the parking pass and clarified that it has been issued to them as the particular area is notified as ‘no motorised vehicle zone.’
“Only vehicles of the local residents are allowed in the no motorised vehicle zone and the stickers help us and the other authorities in identifying their vehicles,” he explained.