I just walked 10 minutes to pay municipal taxes in Mapusa. Half the walk was on the main road going down from Court. I kept wondering whether I should have taken the car and struggled with a parking place.
Should there not be a design effort to make walking pleasant or, at least, bearable? I saw the lovely walkway across Miramar beach on the way to Dona Paula. How many people did I see walking on it - Zilch! How many people were on Miramar beach - Lots.
I am not grudging the walkway on Miramar but the absence of similar facility elsewhere. Should we not start with places where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic? Should we not redesign our systems to make driving a little tougher if need be but make walking around safer and nicer?
How about creating parking places a little away and make people move around the narrow roads on internal shuttle services - quite possibly electric vehicles? Why not start with Calangute beach area and Mapusa town :) I want to walk without fear and daydream.
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I agree with you absolutely. I too walk a lot these days. Kind of started with compulsion 'cos of parking problems. But now I find it is a great thing to do. In Panaji I stay in a place where for a few 100 metres it is downright dangerous to walk. Rest of the places they have done a good job of footpaths.
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