VALPOI: The Valpoi bus stand wears a deserted look on most days, with commuters refusing to use the swanky premises inaugurated in 2014. The location, 700m from the hustle and bustle of Valpoi market, may have something to do with it. Locals find it inconvenient to carry their daily shopping and cart it all on foot to the bus stand.Bus operators, therefore, have been using the bus stop at the market. The stop is located near the old municipal building, and the lining up of buses causes constant traffic snarls in the locality. With Valpoi being the main town in Sattari taluka, traffic congestion affects everybody visiting the town.Valpoi locals say that since nobody questions the drivers of the government-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd ( KTCL ) buses, they negligently park opposite Our Lady of Lourdes High School and on the Thane road in the market area, which results in bottlenecks.“It is also difficult for us to take our cars to the market. Many prefer two-wheelers to escape the traffic trap in the Valpoi market area,” a local resident said.The unused bus stands has a view of triangular, exposed laterite walls sheltered by a metal clad roof. Located in Velus, which is under the jurisdiction of the Valpoi Municipal Council (VMC), the bus stand is quite a distance away from the market.The new KTC bus stand premises is commuter-friendly, spacious and open. It provides for shops, waiting areas, toilets and a resting area for bus drivers. Besides this, there is an AC community hall in the vicinity of the complex that is used by the people of Valpoi for marriage functions. The children's park in the same complex has been neglected by the authorities and is not operational.Social activist Vishwesh Prabhu told TOI that the bus stand has been built at the wrong location. “Due to this, buses halt for a long time at Valpoi market, leading to traffic congestion there. The new bus stand’s location can’t be changed, but authorities can strictly prohibit buses from halting at the market for long periods,” he said.Prabhu has a solution that might ease the constant jams. “Authorities should permit only one bus to leave the new bus stand. This bus must be given a restricted time at the market bus stop and only after it leaves can another bus be allowed to exit from the bus stand,” he suggested.Valpoi-based lawyer Ganpat Gaonkar told TOI that failure on the part of the municipality had led to mismanagement of traffic in the town. “A few months ago, VMC erected a signboard and implemented a traffic plan, but failed to follow up on the traffic plan,” he said. Gaonkar further said that traffic will not be managed until penalties are given to violators.VMC chairperson Akhtar Shah said the traffic congestion issue will be resolved gradually. “I’ll speak to KTC officials about it,” he said.

Stay updated with all the Latest Goa headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.