Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a significant intervention to address traffic-related problems in the capital, the High Court has directed various government departments and civic authorities to implement a series of measures aimed at improving road discipline, easing congestion and making pedestrian movement safer along D.B. Marg and surrounding areas.
The directions form part of a suo motu public interest litigation initiated in 2023 over traffic management in Panaji.
As part of the surveillance measures, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) and the state government have been asked to upgrade the existing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera system along Dayanand Bandodkar Marg within five months. The enhanced system will have to identify vehicles parked in unauthorised areas automatically, apart from detecting red-light violations and failure to wear seat belts. The Traffic Cell has been instructed to act against offenders.
The court observed that the present camera network, installed at Kala Academy, Ferry Wharf, Custom House and Divja Circle, does not provide adequate coverage. Additional cameras will therefore have to be installed along the stretch connecting Mermaid Garden and Santa Monica Jetty within the stipulated five-month period.
Pedestrian movement has also figured prominently in the court’s directions. The Public Works Department has been given one month to repaint the existing zebra crossings at Divja Circle, Mermaid Garden, near the Ambedkar Statue at the Old Secretariat, Customs Junction and Ferry Wharf.
A fresh pedestrian crossing has also been ordered near Hotel Mandovi, to be completed within one month. The District Magistrate will have to issue the corresponding notification within 15 days.
Further, IPSCDL and the state government have been directed to provide Pelican signals at all seven designated pedestrian crossing points within five months to facilitate safer road crossings.
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has been given 30 days to put up new pedestrian railings or repair damaged ones between Divja Circle and Ferry Wharf. Openings in these railings will be permitted only at designated zebra crossings.
To stop motorists from using footpaths as parking spaces, the PWD must install bollards or barricades along D.B. Marg within one month.
The court has also directed the authorities to organise vehicle pick-up and drop-off arrangements more effectively. The Panaji Traffic Cell must identify and mark a dedicated bay behind the Old Secretariat within two weeks for taxis and buses.
The District Magistrate has been asked to notify the area initially as a no-parking stretch for the general public within 20 days, followed by its formal designation as a pick-up and drop-off facility for public transport vehicles.
Additional parking restrictions will be imposed on both sides of the road between the Old Accounts Building and the Statue of Abbé Faria, as well as along the stretch extending from the Old Accounts Building towards the access road leading to Hotel Republic and The Crown Goa. The required notifications must be issued within 15 days. The court has made it clear that the existing public bus stop will remain unaffected.
On the enforcement front, the Superintendent of Police (Traffic Cell) has been directed to ensure traffic police deployment up to 9 pm.
The CCP Commissioner must also ensure that towing vehicles and the required personnel are made available to the Traffic Cell whenever their services are sought for removing improperly parked vehicles.
The court has additionally called for action against touts who allegedly stop motorists along D.B. Marg to solicit business. The Police Inspector of Panaji Police Station has been directed to deal strictly with such activities.
During the proceedings, Advocate General Devidas Pangam assured the court that the CCP would replace or repair missing and damaged traffic signboards throughout Panaji within one month. The work will include ‘No Parking’ and ‘No Entry’ signs.
With multiple departments entrusted with specific responsibilities and deadlines, the court expects the measures to bring greater order to traffic movement while addressing the safety concerns of pedestrians and commuters.
The matter will be taken up again on December 23, 2026, when the court is scheduled to examine the compliance and progress reported by the concerned authorities.
