Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: A fresh wave of public anger has erupted in Vasco over the misuse of parking spaces reserved for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), after a local differently abled resident, Domingoes Goes from Velsao, publicly demanded immediate intervention from authorities.
Speaking to reporters outside the Vasco court on Thursday, Goes recounted how he arrived for a hearing at 10 a.m. accompanied by his senior citizen mother, only to find both PwD slots occupied — one by an advocate’s vehicle and the other by a soda-selling van parked across two spaces. Forced to circle the area in search of parking, he almost missed his case and eventually had to park at the court gate after informing a police staffer.
“This is not just a Vasco problem — it happens across Goa,” Goes said, adding that the situation worsens during the monsoon when PwD commuters are forced to park far away, risking falls on slippery roads. He criticised “educated and high-society” motorists for ignoring visible signage, calling them “the first to misuse our slots.”
Expressing frustration over the lack of enforcement, Goes said he was told no watchman could be assigned to guard the slot. He urged the Traffic Cell and Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) to impose heavy challans on offenders and create a permanent system — such as physical barriers, electronic monitoring, or round-the-clock enforcement — to ensure accessibility.
“The government talks about the rights of the disabled, but without enforcement, these rights mean little,” he said.
