For Goans, the Mapusa Friday market is “cheap” day. So people and tourists rush towards the Friday market. Day by day, the Mapusa market is becoming smaller and smaller, resulting in traffic congestion every Friday. Shifting the iconic Mapusa Friday market, especially the open vendors, could ease traffic congestion. However, the municipality has instead focused on enforcing vendor regulations, conducting road repairs and implementing traffic safety measures with the local police to streamline movement in the central market zone.
The market serves as a central hub where local farmers from all over Goa bring their goods for direct sale. Moving it would require a massive open space with equivalent infrastructure, accessibility and parking, which is available around; only compromise adjustments are required by the municipality.
If community and vendor feedback is considered, many vendors prefer the established central location. Historical merchant groups and locals have even raised concerns about altering the market’s traditional structure and operations. But solutions are necessary to curb traffic jams.
Rather than relocating, officials have actively worked on hot-mixing roads, organising parking and coordinating with the Mapusa police to curb unauthorised roadside vending and vehicle entry. However, the Friday market needs to be explored with planning benefiting everybody in open spaces only on Fridays.
While a dedicated alternate open space could theoretically solve gridlock, the Mapusa Market Safety Measures finalised at MMC indicate that officials prefer managing the existing setup. For the future management of Friday market regulations, traffic adjustments are badly needed.
