Kolkata: The city witnessed 191 deaths in 2024, the commissioner of police, Manoj Verma, said on Monday at Lalbazar. In 2023, the city witnessed 159 deaths. Thus, Kolkata Police registered a 20% jump in fatalities in the previous year compared to the last one. This is also the first time that road deaths rose since 2016.
Kolkata has consistently seen deaths on roads drop year by year — even after the Covid period — starting in 2016 (the year the state launched the Safe Drive Save Life campaigns).
But there are riders. The 2023 fatality figure was the lowest ever in Kolkata Police history in the past two decades. Since then, the entire area of Bhangar — an extremely accident-prone zone of around 300 square kilometres — was added to the KP area. "Going by the fatalities recorded from Bhangar, the actual rise in fatalities will not be more than 6-8%," claimed an officer.
The city witnessed 185 fatal accidents in 2022 and 199 in the partial lockdown year of 2021. Hence, the 191 fatalities in 2024 are actually not too high, said officers. Despite these factors, though, Kolkata Traffic Police has begun identifying multiple reasons behind the accidents. As Verma himself said, there was always scope for improvement.
Police felt that with an explosion of vehicles, especially two-wheelers after Covid, the road space has hardly increased. "Road space is much less than what is available in other metros," said Verma in the press conference.
"What is worrying are the deaths and injuries of too many bikers, along with pedestrians. Several of these are accidents when people tried getting on and off the bus," said an ACP.
Accidents during non-peak hours have matched those in peak hours. "But given that average speed is higher in non-peak hours, fatalities tend to be more in this period," said an officer. According to police, in several of these accidents, the two-wheeler riders did not wear helmets. Most accidents have been reported from less significant thoroughfares like Dum Dum 30A bus stand, Chittaranjan Colony, Bandipur Road in Bansdroni, Dakshindari Road near Ultadanga, or Tangra 3rd Lane. Hence, setting up nakas on main roads, carrying out maximum number of prosecutions, and checking for drink driving have remained effective only on the main thoroughfares. Also, most of these accidents took place during usual traffic hours. Most of the victims were younger in age," said a senior officer.
Cops stated that accidents involving two speeding bikes have also resulted in deaths during this period. Lalbazar stated that there are multiple activities that each guard with a higher number of fatalities has been asked to undertake.