PANAJI: The decision of the Corporation of the City of Panaji to convert the entire 18th June Road into a pay parking zone has received strong opposition from various entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, hoteliers, businessmen and professionals, who operate from this area.

Most of them, who were requested to comment on the decision of the Corporation, blamed the municipal body for making mess of the traffic situation in the city, and further, pointed to its failure to provide separate/ special parking lots, instead of converting the existing parking spaces into pay parking zones.
The well-known ophthalmologist, Dr Ajay Vaidya, who runs an eye clinic along the 18th June Road said that converting the road into a pay parking zone is nothing but a planned money-making racket of the CCP councillors.
“In fact, someone, under the RTI Act should resort to finding out details about the agencies awarded tenders for collecting money in the pay parking areas,” he said adding, “and then we will know about the people, the relatives as well as friends linked to these tender winners.”
“There is no discipline in handling the traffic on this road, and scooter repair shops are allowed to function in many public places on this road,” Dr Vaidya observed, stating that the police should inform the people as to under which rule can a vehicle be parked in the middle of the road, if the vehicle has a driver sitting in it.
“But, that is what happens in this city,” he noted.
“Panaji has five main arterial roads – Dada Vaidya Road, Atmaram Borkar Road, 18th June Road, M G Road and D B Road, and a number of cross roads connecting them,” Dr Vaidya pointed out, stating that one of the solutions to the parking problem in the city could be converting alternate cross roads into parking areas.
He also lamented that many of the traffic violators, when stopped by the police, immediately calls higher ups on their cell phones and get themselves freed from the clutches of law.
The deputy Mayor of the city, Mr Yatin Parekh, who himself owns a shop on the 18th June Road said that prime commercial buildings in the city, located on main arterial roads are devoid of parking facilities, in their own premises, which has added to the parking congestion in the city.
“Therefore, just as the authorities should be sensitive to the said problem, builders and planners too must be equally responsible for it,” he added.
Mr G V Kamat, who visits a public library situated on the 18th June Road, at least thrice a week to borrow books, said that if he has to shell out ` 5 for parking his car along the road for just 10 minute, it is not a feasible proposition.
An owner of a restaurant located adjacent to this road stated that his business would be definitely affected if the area is converted into a pay parking zone.
“Already the food prices in the restaurant have gone up due to inflation, and under such circumstances, there is no way anyone would pay to park his vehicle and come to my restaurant for a bite,” he observed, noting that the customers would rather prefer to go to the restaurants in the no pay parking areas. 
Mr Vallabh Kamat Ghanekar, who owns a wine shop on the 18th June Road said that he himself parks his car along the road, for at least 10 hours a day, which means he would have to shell out 50 rupees every day.
 “The CCP councillors need to use their brains, and solutions will come pouring in,” opined a regular commuter on the 18th June Road, Mr Jason Rodrigues, noting that burdening the citizens with additional  expenditure would attract nothing but the wrath of the people.