Traffic norms were frequently violated at Behala Chowrasta on Friday morning, exactly a week after an accident killed an eight-year-old boy and critically injured his father.
Starting 6.15am, The Telegraph spent 90-odd minutes at the intersection. The volume of traffic was not heavy but violations were many.
Jaywalkers were spotted every now and then. Cyclists moved dangerously close to bigger vehicles. Buses dropped passengers in the middle of the road.
The number of policemen deployed at the intersection was less than that in place in the days following the accident. But even a reduced count meant a sergeant, a constable, a couple of civic volunteers and a homeguard.
The boom barrier was in place and most of the pedestrians stood behind the gate before crossing the road. But not everyone followed the norms.
The designated stop for buses on the Taratala-bound flyover is at the gates of an industrial enclave, around 80m from the signal. But scores of passengers stood much before the designated stop, stretching their hands to signal buses to stop. More often than not buses stopped to pick up passengers.
Before the accident, buses would even stop at the signal, even when the signal was green. The accident, it seemed, has just pushed the problem a little further.
Jaywalking was also common, on both flanks of the thoroughfare.
The area in front of the Barisha Uchcha Balika Vidyamandir — the school where Souraneel Sarkar, the victim of last Friday's crash, studied in Class II — was almost deserted. A guard at the school said Friday was a holiday to mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of Khudiram Bose.
An officer of the Diamond Harbour traffic guard acknowledged jaywalking is the biggest challenge.
