How many times we try to demand the fair practice of rules and regulations from the authorities, when we only break them due to whosoever reasons? Driving without the seat belts, parking in the middle of the road in the city (double parking) and going into the no-entry zone is a regular affair for many citizens but they will immediately blame the authorities. A similar thing had supposed had happened with our Panaji Mayor when the traffic police clamped his official car. Here is what the Mayor has to say in his defense. Read more here.
[su_expand more_text=”READ MORE” less_text=” ” height=”0″ hide_less=”yes” link_style=”button” link_align=”center”] Lately, the Mayor of CCP (Corporation of the city of Panaji) has been in the limelight due to various reasons. May it be the incident of falling in the St. Inez Nullah while doing an inspection of a creek or getting his vehicle locked by the traffic police parked in the no parking zone. The social media has been filled with the images making the mockery of a Mayor.
Here in this incident, an official vehicle of a Mayor Surendra Furtado was locked by the traffic police. While it was found parked irresponsibly in the ‘NO PARKING ZONE’ but while the media contacted mayor on this he clearly denied the allegations saying that his vehicles was not parked but it was in motion although he failed to clarify as how the traffic police managed to clamp the ‘Vehicle in Motion’.
“I had an official meeting in CCP. While I come out of the vehicle my security person put the cap on the flag after rolling it over. Later my vehicle either goes in reverse or takes a round of the CCP and goes into the garage. My vehicle was in motion and driver was sitting inside the car and right in front of my vehicle there were two bikes parked and thus he could not move the vehicle,” narrated the Mayor. While media person asked him again as why his vehicle was parked in the No Parking zone he again said “It was in motion and if police needs to check the CCTV records they are free to do so. The video clipping shows clearly that driver was inside the car and vehicle was in motion,” he added. But he could not justify as how the vehicle in the motion got clamped by the police as normally police warns the driver to move the car instead of clamping it.
But at the end of the conversation he agreed to the mistake saying that “If my driver was at the fault then I congratulate the DG of Goa Police for taking such action and at the same time I would like to request the DG that from today onwards there should be no double parking in the entire city of Panaji.” Does this statement of the Mayor means that, till the time his official vehicle gets clamped the double parking was allowed in the entire city?
Mayor tried to enlighten the media saying that CCP has done the pay parking and despite of that people are engaged into the double practice of double parking. “Corporation of city of Panaji has done the pay parking in the city almost two months passed. I would like to ask the DG as why there is double parking in the city specially on 18th June Road and in front of Café Central (where his own vehicles was clamped for double parking),” he said adding that “when he summoned the PI for meeting it was told that they don’t have enough manpower to handle the traffic scenario in the city.”
Mr. Furtado further said that “I am ready to give a certificate to DG and will solute him if he can stop the double parking in the city from today.” This is the clear indication that unless the police take action against some more VIPs and VVIPs there won’t be wave of change in the parking scenario of Panaji city. If you are one the person who is facing the similar situation please raise your voice against such malpractices instead of waiting till your turn to face the challan and then blame the system for it. If the mayor had to take this cognizance of the double parking prior to his own vehicles getting clamped by the traffic police the scenario could have been different today. Kindly leave your valuable comments on this issue.
Source: Prudent Media
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