Racing buses kill 1, injure 2 on VIP Road, locals agitate

KOLKATA: A person was killed and two were seriously injured on Saturday evening when three buses raced each other on VIP Road. An app-cab was also hit in the accident. The incident comes two days after four persons were injured in Ultadanga when two buses raced each other.
According to sources, a Tollygunge-airport CTC bus was rushing towards airport when a private bus started to race with it after crossing Ultadanga.When the private bus of Baruipur-Barasat route tried to overtake the CTC bus near Lake Town, another private bus of route 45 picked up speed to overtake it. When the buses approached Kestopur, one of the drivers tried to overtake a cyclist, Nimai Bala. The rider was crushed between the Baruipur-Barasat and Tollygunge-airport buses.
Trying to flee the spot, the CTC bus hit an Ola cab from behind and then hit the divider before it came to a halt. Another bus, of the New Garia-Padmasree route, could not control its pace and hit the CTC bus from behind. Apart from the Ola cab driver, a few bus passengers were injured, sources said.
Irate locals blocked the road protesting against police inaction along VIP Road. They alleged that racing each other near Kestopur is nothing new for the buses plying along VIP Road