A safety review of the Cuncolim bus stand in Goa has begun after private buses and some Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd buses continued stopping on NH66 instead of entering the Rs 3.5-crore facility, causing traffic jams and raising concerns about poorly marked entry and exit points.
The South Goa District Road Safety Committee’s monitoring cell inspected the road access to the bus stand earlier this week. The inspection examined signage directing buses and private vehicles into and out of the facility, according to a report by The Times of India – Goa.
Representatives of the Public Works Department, the District Road Safety Committee, the transport department, traffic police and the non-governmental organisation Goacan took part in the inspection. The exercise is also expected to support a longer-term solution, including a notification from the District Collector prohibiting halting and parking in front of the bus stand on NH66.
The facility was built by the Goa government in 2007 and has remained underused nearly two decades after its inauguration. Many private buses and some KTCL services reportedly continue to pick up and drop passengers on the highway rather than entering the designated stand. Their roadside stops have contributed to recurring congestion on NH66, while vehicles entering or leaving the stand face limited guidance because of inadequate signage.
Complaints had earlier been made to traffic police and Regional Transport Office officials. Challans were issued to some bus drivers, but the practice continued. The Cuncolim Civic and Consumer Forum subsequently raised the matter before the District Consumer Protection Council, describing the missing signage as a possible “deficiency of service” by agencies responsible for services at the bus stand.
The issue was later taken up by the District Road Safety Committee after inadequate signage was flagged as a danger to buses and private vehicles joining or leaving the highway. A formal prohibition on stopping and parking outside the facility would place greater emphasis on using the designated bus stand, subject to the District Collector issuing the proposed notification.
The Cuncolim stand has ample space for buses, a displayed timetable and a public-address system for route announcements. Its architectural design, featuring two dolphins appearing to leap from the sea, won the Aga Khan Award for architecture at the national level in 2012. Despite these facilities, interstate buses and some private services operating between Margao and Karwar have continued to bypass it.
The road-safety committee’s inspection is the latest official step. The next actions identified in the report are improvements to entry and exit signage and consideration of the District Collector’s notification restricting halting and parking on NH66 in front of the stand.
