Kolkata: Two crushed under compactor as bike skids on tram tracks

KOLKATA: A bike taxi rider and his pillion rider were crushed to death by a civic compactor when the bike skidded on the rain-drenched tram tracks near Park Circus Seven-Point Crossing on Monday. As the two riders fell to the road, they came under the vehicle.
The incident took place around 12.30pm at the Jamnagar Road-Park Street crossing, metres from the seven-point crossing. The rider, Chandan Yadav (32), was a resident of Narendrapur, who worked as an app cab driver and had joined a new app bike taxi. The pillion rider, Nabin Jhunjhunwala (39), was a resident of Gariahat Road and owned a construction business. Both had their helmets on, police said.

According to cops from the Beniapukur police station and East Guard, the bike, headed for Park Street, was within the speed limit. “It was raining. As the bike tyres went over the slippery tram tracks, the two-wheeler skidded. The compactor driver could not stop or swerve to the side. The victimns were declared dead at CNMC Hospital,” said an officer. Cops denied the claim that the truck came from the opposite end. The compactor driver has been arrested.
Md Sajjad, a shopkeeper, said only one home guard was usually deployed at the point. He pointed out it had been a long-standing demand that the defunct signal at the crossing be repaired. “A big truck should have maintained a minimum distance. A signal there might have had cut down on the vehicle speed,” he said. Police said they were trying to revive the signal. “The synchronization problem at the seven-point signal would be solved soon,” said an officer.