Bypass, DH Road see dip in fatal accidents in 1st 10 months of ’25
Times of India | 21 November 2025
Kolkata: There was a 15% drop in fatal accidents in the city by the end of Oct this year compared to the same period last year, with the total number of fatalities decreasing from 165 to 140 in the first 10 months of 2025. The decrease, claim the police, was primarily achieved by reducing fatalities on the three most accident-prone roads in the city - Basanti Highway, EM Bypass, and DH Road.
According to sources, the police recorded only 13 accidents on Basanti Highway and EM Bypass, under the Bhangar and Tiljala Traffic Guards, by the end of Oct, compared to 35 such fatalities last year. On the Bypass alone, 19 lives were lost in 2024, but this number has come down to just six this year. DH Road managed to reduce fatalities even further this year after improvements began last year.
On Wednesday, Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma highlighted this achievement at the logo unveiling event for the marathon organised to promote the "Safe Drive, Save Life" message. "According to the statistics from the past 10 months, the rate of fatalities in road accidents in the city decreased by 15% compared to last year. A 15% reduction in the fatality rate within a year is unprecedented in any metro city recently, making Kolkata the best in this regard," said Verma. However, he is unwilling to be complacent. His message to the force is, "There is still more than a month left in the year. We must remain vigilant."
Earlier, the inclusion of a large part of Bhangar nearly doubled the area under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police in 2024. A number of fatalities in road accidents in these areas led to the overall jump in accidents in the Kolkata Police area last year. However, Lalbazar decided on a carrot-and-stick policy on both Bypass and Basanti Highway, despite major opposition from locals. The traffic department's strict monitoring and continuous awareness campaigns continued hand in hand.
"In 2023, the number of road accident deaths in Kolkata was 159. In 2024, the number of road accident deaths increased to 191. Statistics revealed that the fatality rate in Kolkata Police's previous area decreased compared to 2023. However, the addition of accident-related deaths in the Bhangar area led to an overall increase in fatalities. We wanted to correct this," said an officer. Kolkata Police's traffic department took action, initiating special surveillance on Basanti Highway in the Bhangar area. Convex mirrors were installed at every turn, and ‘rumble strips' were placed on roads to reduce speed. Additionally, ANPR cameras and speed cameras were installed on Basanti Highway to curb reckless driving. Continuous fines and crackdowns helped reduce accidents and fatalities.
At the event held at Alipore Bodyguard Lines, the logo for the half marathon was unveiled. The half marathon will start from Red Road at 5 am on Jan 18.