Cop barriers along risky VIP Road stretch

KOLKATA: Five days after an auto toppled on an uneven stretch on VIP Road, severely injuring the driver, cops have put up guard rails along the stretch separating the main carriageway from the service lane that is at least 10 inches lower.

Last Tuesday, the uneven stretch of carriageway near Kestopur made a bus driver lose control of the vehicle when it tried to take the bus bay. It hit an auto from behind and the threewheeler turned turtle. Fortunately, there was no passenger in the auto and the driver managed to jump out just in time. However, he ended up with a badly injured arm.

Local residents said that small accidents happen every time bikers and autos try to change lanes and end up losing balance on the uneven surface.

“There was a meeting with PWD officials following the accident where the issue was discussed. We told them to raise the lowered portion and level it with the main carriageway. However, the officials said it would take time. We then decided to put up temporary guard rails to prevent any further mishap,” said an officer of Bidhannagar Police traffic department.

The 25m stretch of the airport-bound flank of VIP Road near Kestopur, where the accident took place on Tuesday, has an 8inch to 10inch difference in height between the main carriageway and the newly laid bituminous road. As a result of the huge gap, buses, cars, autos and bikes often lose control and end up meeting with accidents.

Officials of the public works department, who are the custodians of the road, said they had been telling the cops to put up the barriers at that part for a very long time, but they had been skirting the proposal claiming it would lead to traffic snarls.

“After the accident on Tuesday, we discussed the matter again and this time they agreed to put up the guard rails. The lower portion is actually an extended part of VIP Road which we recently converted into a service road. But to avoid further accidents, we are having internal discussions on whether we need to raise the portion to the same level as the main carriageway,” said the official.