Margao civic body to pilot pay parking in 18 key areas

Margao: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has identified 18 city spots for pay parking and plans to introduce the system on trial at select stretches, sources said.

The Margao traffic cell proposed key congestion areas, including Margao Square near SBI, Fatima Convent, and Isidore Baptista Road as trial locations. Sources said these sites were selected to assess the system before rollout.

“These trial locations will help us evaluate public response and operational efficiency before implementing pay parking across all 18 identified zones,” said a senior MMC official. “Our primary goal is to ensure smoother traffic and better-organised roads in Margao.”

The initiative aims to address Margao’s growing traffic congestion problems, particularly in commercial areas. Local business owners expressed mixed reactions, with some welcoming the move as a solution to chronic parking shortages, while others raised concerns about impacts on customer traffic.

Notably absent from MMC's current announcements is any mention of the hydraulic pay parking project proposed in late 2024. That proposal emerged after multiple failed attempts to develop a multi-level parking facility. The hydraulic system was presented as an alternative to the reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structure, which was unable to attract contractors despite multiple tender attempts.

The current pay parking initiative seems to parallel previous plans, with officials offering no updates on the hydraulic parking project. Traffic police expect the pay parking system to regulate traffic, reduce illegal parking, and generate revenue.