Freak accident & breakdown hold up Maa flyover traffic
Times of India | 24 September 2024
Kolkata: The pre-puja traffic returned to Maa flyover on Monday morning, a freak accident and a breakdown adding to the pressure on the flyover. The Kolkata traffic police was forced to divert vehicles from Kasba-Tiljala side and moving towards Park Circus, the police asking motorists to use the PC Connector.
What was witnessed on the Maa flyover in the morning was replicated across the city – with a large section of vehicles entering from the adjoining districts to carry out daily business and chores.
Cops said that though the pressure witnessed on Monday was still not comparable to the pressure on roads in the last year (with less than 10 days left for Mahalaya), this was the first working day when cops witnessed a sharp rise in vehicles on the Maa flyover in the past one month despite the stifling weather.
According to police, the third and fourth week of Aug on an average saw 3,032 four-wheelers take the flyover from the Tiljala side and around 5,070 take the flyover from Metropolitan end between 9 am to 11 am. Around 3,400 bikes took the flyover at both ends at that time between 9 am and 11 am. The police said there was a 20% increase in vehicles on both ends taking the flyover on Monday towards Park Circus and Race Course. “The counting was a rough one and a more detailed study will be carried out as to why most vehicles are taking this route,” said an officer at Lalbazar.
Cops said that a biker along with his wife skidded on the Maa flyover near Boat Club leading to injuries and cops removing them in an ambulance. This led to police blocking a section of the Park Circus-bound flank in the morning. About half-an-hour later, vehicles were held up again due to a breakdown closer to bridge number 4.
However, with traffic on the AJC Bose flyover moving smoothly, cops said that no major disruptions apart from vehicles slowing down were noticed except during the time the accident took place.