Residents call for speed breakers on Howrah–Amta Road

Kolkata: Residents of a housing complex in Howrah have urged state transport authorities to install speed breakers on the Howrah–Amta Road, citing repeated accidents and risks to schoolchildren and daily commuters amid speeding traffic.

In a letter addressed to the Director of the Transport Directorate and the Chairman of the Lead Agency on Road Safety, West Bengal, the Riya Manbhari Greens Association of Apartment Owners said the section between the block office and Makardaha market has witnessed frequent accidents, including recent fatalities involving speeding heavy vehicles.

The association pointed to the absence of speed breakers or other traffic-calming measures despite the presence of a residential complex, a school and a nursing home along the road. Residents said vehicles, including trucks and motorcycles, travel at high speeds, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross safely.

The risk is particularly high for students of Delhi Public School, Howrah, and families living in the complex, which has over 330 flats.

David Chakraborty, a resident, said he suffered an ankle fracture after falling amid speeding traffic. “Earlier, there were several speed breakers on this stretch, but after the road was re-laid, those are no longer there. Vehicles now pass at very high speed and accidents are frequent,” he said.

Residents said accessing the main road for routine activities such as going to the market has become risky, with fast-moving vehicles posing a constant threat. They warned that more serious accidents could occur if immediate steps are not taken.

The association has requested speed breakers in front of the school and the residential complex and at other vulnerable points along the stretch.