Accident spike: KP plans speed cams, lane dividers on Bypass
Times of India | 23 October 2024
Kolkata: The sharp rise in accidents on EM Bypass, which left three people dead and around 22 injured in the past 10 months — eight of them since Mahalaya on Oct 2 — has led to the decision to install more speed cameras and ensure lane discipline on the high-speed corridor. Traffic cops hope this will reduce the number of accidents on the stretch.
Most of the accidents have occurred at the Garia end of the Bypass and along the Kasba connector.
The average speed of vehicles is highest in the former stretch. Till speed cameras and lane dividers for buses are installed, police officers have been asked to set up checkpoints during non-busy hours. Cops will focus on drink driving and check two-wheelers as well. “Most accidents happened either late at night or early in the morning when roads are comparatively empty,” said an officer, adding that these instructions will be followed by all traffic guards across the city.
While Basanti Highway had posed a challenge, cops said they would now focus equally on EM Bypass. Many speed-reducing measures like rumble strips, crash barriers, mirrors, median verge, and edge markings have made the Basanti Highway a lot safer than before.
Cops have also been asked to alert authorities about any civic issues like non-functional street lights, construction materials dumped on road or potholes so that these issues can be pursued and addressed. The police elaborated that there are multiple activities each guard responsible for managing traffic on Bypass has been assigned to ensure that accidents on these stretches can be avoided.
“Issues like non-operational street lights or construction material lying on the road get reported by us. But SOS is sent whenever such things are noticed on accident-prone stretches,” said an officer. Cops stated that help from experts are also being taken for long-term gains.
Some of the key intersections, for example, can be made safer for motorists and pedestrians if police carefully study five aspects — basic geometry of the intersection, signage, signalling system, pedestrian crossover facility and location of bus stop — experts on traffic management from IIT Kharagpur have told Kolkata Police.
The engineers chose some of the intersections and displayed multiple pictures of each to explain how small changes — such as a slight tweaking of the road markings or altering the signalling time — can help in reducing accidents, police sources said.