West Bengal to revamp highway traffic system after TMC MP’s accident

Abhishek Banerjee (Express Photo)

In the backdrop of the accident involving West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Durgapur Expressway on Tuesday, the state has decided to revamp the traffic system on highways to curb road mishaps. At a high-level meeting yesterday, a decision was taken to identify rogue drivers and accident prone zones, install additional CCTVs and put up check posts on National Highway 2 (Delhi–Kolkata Road), NH 6 (Jharkhand border–Dankuni) and NH 34 (passing through Krishnanagar, Palashi, Baharampore, Morgram, Jangipur, Farakka, Ingraj Bazar, Pandua, Raiganj and Karandighi) to increase the vigil on vehicular movements.

The meeting was attended by Director General of Police (DGP) Surajit Kar Purkayastha, ADG (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma, Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, PWD Principal Secretary Indever Pandey, senior officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Public Works Department.

In fact, plans were on to keep an extra vigil on highways 24X7, a highly-placed source at the Secretariat said.

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The meeting decided the need to set up speed breakers at important crossings, junctures of localities and highways and at crucial turns.

It was also decided that traffic constables would be equipped with breathalysers to check whether drivers on the highways were drunk or not.

The number of patrolling vans on the highways would also be increased for ensuring road safety.

“Constables will also be provided with speed radar guns to check on rogue drivers,” a senior official, who was present at the meeting, said.

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“Putting on extra signboards on the sides of the highways to caution drivers about sharp turns and diversions and reflecting road signs to help drivers at night will be put up,” he said.