Restaurant fire: Police manage to keep traffic moving on Park Street, Camac St
Times of India | 12 June 2024
Kolkata: Traffic was partially hit on Camac Street, Park Street and even around Birla Planetarium for around 15 minutes when cops had to ensure the entry of fire engines to the Park Street-Camac Street crossing on Tuesday morning, almost all of them reached the spot by travelling against the traffic flow.
The thick smoke emitting from the restaurant on Camac Street was such that visibility at the crossing got reduced significantly forcing cops to hold traffic on Park Street for around 15 minutes.
But the traffic police shortly allowed vehicles to start moving on Park Street, which helped ensure that both south- and central-bound commuters on this stretch travelled without facing much hindrance.
“We decided to push the crowd to the pavements and resumed traffic on Park Street around 11 am, minutes after firefighters launched the effort to put out the fire. Even on Camac Street, traffic remained suspended till 3 pm (from 10.40 am) between Middleton Row and Park Street. As soon as the fire fighters said that the fire was under control, we ensured all restrictions were removed,” said an officer from South Guard.
Most vehicles, said sources, were channelled through Middleton Row, Middleton Street and AJC Bose Road. Cops said that due to the rerouting, there was some slowing down on JL Nehru Road and AJC Bose Road. But with more men pushed on the ground, even these diversions were controlled by 11.30 am,” said an officer.
Motorists who received videos and photographs of the fire said they were surprised when they encountered normal traffic at Park Street crossing, Mullick Bazar crossing and even Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. “I realized there was not much disruption beyond Camac Street,” said Jyotsna Banerjee, a PR executive who drives to her Park Street office from Behala.