NT Reporter
Panaji
To decongest vehicular traffic in Panaji, particularly near the casino point along the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday directed the authorities to notify the road stretch from the petrol pump near Panaji Residency to the Panaji Church as a no-parking zone.
Vehicles linked to offshore casinos will be required to drop off their passengers at the designated location near the Old Secretariat.
The High Court division bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar expressed its concern over the traffic congestion in the city, explicitly pointing to offshore casino operations as a primary cause.
The High Court issued several directions to the state government to decongest Dayanand Bandodkar Marg in Panaji to ease traffic congestion in the area, especially in the evenings due to casino-related activities.
The measures include barricading the stretch from Divja Circle to the Betim ferry point to prevent pedestrians from crossing at random locations, and installing around six to seven zebra crossings with pedestrian signals, Advocate General Devidas Pangam informed.
Parking will be prohibited near the casinos, while the stretch from the petrol pump near Panaji Residency to Panaji Church is to be notified as a no-parking zone. Vehicles serving casinos and offices in the area will be required to drop off passengers at a designated location behind the Old Secretariat.
CCTV cameras are to be upgraded to capture vehicle number plates and help the authorities act against illegal parking, unauthorised passenger drop-offs and other violations.
The court will monitor the implementation of its directions and assess the impact of the measures for a month. The matter will be heard after four weeks.
The directions came in the 2023 suo motu petition concerning the Panaji traffic plan, which addresses congestion along DB Marg.
The court highlighted the chaos along major arteries, particularly DB Marg and MG Road, and ordered remedial measures to curb the indiscriminate parking and the lack of pedestrian safety.
Basically, the court is concerned with traffic congestion in the city, and to see whether some solution can be worked out based on expert opinion.
Traffic jams, illegal and indiscriminate parking, and severe risks to pedestrian safety along major city arteries, particularly DB Marg and MG Road, were highlighted during the hearing.
It was also noted that vehicles belonging to casino visitors frequently park illegally in designated ‘No Parking/No Stopping’ zones—including blocking zebra crossings—around key spots like the Old Secretariat.
