Move Mega Events Out of DB Ground, Says Panaji Councillor Jack Sukhija After Traffic Chaos

~ Jack Sukhija calls for alternative venues, better event-planning and a traffic management system that protects residents’ access to the city.

Goa Khabar: Calling for large commercial events to be moved out of Panaji’s iconic promenade, the DB Ground stretch at Campal, Panaji Councillor Jack Sukhija has said the city’s congested roads and fatigued residents can no longer accommodate the traffic and crowds generated by mega events routinely organised within the city.

Addressing a media in Panaji on Tuesday, following the traffic gridlock during Oktoberfest Goa on November 1, Sukhija said the stretch along DB Road was ill-equipped to handle gatherings that bring hundreds of people and vehicles into an already congested part of the city. The chaos, he said, had blocked access to homes and public roads, with ambulances unable to get through.

“The DB stretch has become a killer road. Several people have lost their lives here because of its narrowness, vehicle speeds and traffic conditions. My humble appeal is that no more mega events should be held here when alternatives are available,” Sukhija said.

He proposed defining mega events as gatherings attracting more than 500 people at a time or requiring parking for over 250 to 300 vehicles. Such events, he said, should be shifted to venues with adequate parking or facilities to transport visitors. Smaller fairs and exhibitions could continue if crowds were dispersed and parking arranged elsewhere.

Sukhija identified Patto park and the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on the outskirts of the city as possible alternatives for mega events. Citing the relocation of Festa de Povo from São Tomé and Fontainhas to Patto after residents raised concerns about access to emergency healthcare, he said the new venue offered ample parking, including at the Goa Tourism Development Corporation parking lot.

“We are not against events per se. We understand that events are necessary for tourism and that there is a market for them, as is evident from the demand they attract,” he said. However, he cautioned against overcrowding locations and bringing existing systems to a standstill in the name of tourism.

Sukhija said the Oktoberfest weekend exposed a failure of coordination, with several events, including Ironman, the Vibrant Goa Mega Summit and a seminar organised by Transitions Research, adding to pressure on Panaji’s roads. He said he supported Ironman and Oktoberfest, but questioned the choice of venue and the absence of a proper visitor management plan.

“Unless organisers arrange parking elsewhere, provide shuttle buses and insist that visitors use them, these problems will persist,” he said, citing the shuttle services operated by the Serendipity Arts Festival at some venues.

He also questioned the lack of implementation of Panaji’s Smart City command and control centre, proposed to provide intelligent traffic management. Sukhija raised concerns over a proposed ropeway expected to bring around 2,000 people onto the road and a 500-room luxury hotel proposed on the old GTDC Miramar Residency site.

He urged the Commissioner, Collector and Superintendent of Traffic Police to assess venue capacity and traffic arrangements before granting permissions, warning that the recurring blockages could eventually lead to a serious incident.