Besides taking all necessary steps to bring down the number of road accidents across the state, the police are taking extra precautions to avoid any mishap on roads near tourist spots, mainly Digha, where traffic load becomes almost double every weekend.
Digha is connected by National Highway 116B from Nandakumar. After passing through Contai and Digha, the 91 km long road ends at Chandaneswar near Balasore in Odisha.
One has to take a right turn from Nandakumar to reach Digha, covering a distance of 76 km. Only a small stretch has to-and-fro facility and the remaining road is narrow with six sharp bends. Buses, both government and private, ply at breakneck speed here.
There is no control over the plying of slower vehicles like van rickshaws, three wheelers and auto-rickshaws which pose a serious threat to safe driving.
Buses often collide with cars and people try to avoid the road after dusk due to frequent road accidents. Also, there is a lack of proper lighting arrangements. The stretch is very congested as it passes through residential areas.
"Human habitation on both sides of the road increases the chances of accidents. Thus, steps have been taken accordingly to curb accidents in the stretch. Considering that creating awareness is the best way to reduce accidents, the police have taken initiative to hold seminars and campaign to make more and more people aware about road safety measures," said an officer of the West Bengal Traffic Police, adding that steps have also been taken to ensure that drivers follow traffic norms.
Drivers will be made to drive vehicles as per the speed limit on a particular stretch.
Officers in all the police stations, under whose jurisdiction the area comes, including Nandakumar, Chandipur, Ramnagar Contai and Digha have been involved to take up projects in their respective area to make people aware of the road safety norms.
A road safety seminar was organised in Digha in January. Besides local people, drivers who ply buses on the route, small vehicles' drivers and school goers were involved to make them understand the responsibility of their part for avoiding road accident.
At the same time, there will also be check points to control speed of vehicles and policemen from local police stations will be monitoring movement of vehicles.
Many school goers take the road to reach their school by foot. Thus, the policemen have been directed to keep a watch during school hours.
"Precautions have also been taken to reduce accidents on roads connecting other tourist spots in the state," the officer said.