Cops instal 5th signal on 1km Chingrighata stretch

KOLKATA: Kolkata traffic police has decided to instal another traffic signal in front of Captain Bheri, metres from the spot where the Chingrighata flyover takes off. The decision comes close on the heels of yet another accident, which left a 42-year-old woman injured on Sunday evening. It will be the fourth signal (fifth if the lane towards Salt Lake is taken into account) on a 1km stretch between Beliaghata Building More and Captain Bheri.




“We have taken a detailed stock of EM Bypass yet again. We have to keep the safety of locals in mind and take some steps that will stop accidents,” said DC (traffic) Sumit Kumar without elaborating further.

The spot of the latest accident — at the Science City end of the Chingrighata flyover where Jhuma Sardar was reportedly hit by a car — is vital for locals.

“Almost the entire Sukanta Pally depends on Chingrighata market for their daily needs. Sealing this cut will force residents another to walk another 400 metres. They are against it. We have our hands tied,” claimed a local cop.

On Monday, TOI found 12 cops posted at the spot. “For now, we are physically stopping vehicles and allowing pedestrians to cross. Things get bad in the evening,” said a Beliaghata traffic guard official. Even on Monday, TOI found men and women crossing the spot at will and young girls cycling against the flow of traffic.

An officer at Lalbazar claimed they had written yet again — thrice since the accident at Chingrighata that claimed two lives — to PWD and asked them to construct two foot overbridges. “We have been negotiating with them for two overbridges — one at Captain Bheri and another near the canal,” claimed a source. KMDA said they were waiting for a technical report from IIT before finalizing the plans.

“The waiting time has climbed up to 20 minutes between Nicco Park and Chingrighata crossing in the evenings. Some times, this stretches to around half-an-hour. If there is another traffic light at Captain Bheri, it will only add to the travel time,” rued Sayantan Sinha, an IT executive who travels between Jadavpur and Sector V every day.