PANAJI
Not only have several private vehicle owners failed to clear their abandoned vehicles, most of the government departments, too, have ignored official notices to remove their defunct cars and SUVs.
With nearly 520 government vehicles past their 15-year lifespan and most of these clogging public/parking places across Goa, the Transport Department is now likely to re-issue notices to defaulters. The department is further expected to send fresh notices to parent departments of those abandoned vehicles recently identified.
In November 2024, the North Goa District Magistrate’s Office issued a proclamation to auction unclaimed vehicles in a bid to free up parking spaces and eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds. The notice called upon persons with an interest in any abandoned or unattended vehicles located in Bardez and Tiswadi to submit their claims within six months to the respective Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate offices.
Even as this process is underway, reliable sources revealed to The Goan that the Transport Department had earlier served notices to various government departments whose vehicles had been lying abandoned for a considerably long time. However, the efforts to clear the parking spaces were in vain.
“The department will now send a final reminder to these departments to ensure compliance at the earliest. Fresh notices will also be issued for newly identified abandoned vehicles,” the source added.
He explained that if the directives are still ignored, the District Collector will have the authority to take possession of these vehicles, including government-owned ones, before proceeding with their disposal through due process.
Moreover, sources further stated that the Pay Parking contractors are also tasked with alerting local municipalities and panchayats about vehicles blocking vital parking slots. At a recent district road safety meeting, consumer rights group GOACAN urged the Commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to send a notice to the Panaji pay parking contractor on this issue.
Meanwhile, the government is also mulling over reducing the six-month waiting period for claims, ensuring that abandoned vehicles do not choke parking spaces or turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes and reptiles.
Amid this situation, the Goa Waste Management Corporation auctioned 34 state-owned vehicles, yet none of them were sent to the registered vehicle scrapping facility at Madkai IDC till last month. Ironically, since the facility’s launch on November 25, 2024, only private vehicles -- just 35 in total -- have been scrapped till January 2025.
