The Road Safety Week may be hogging the limelight at the Calcutta crossroads, but across the river, the mishap count on the streets of Howrah continues to rise alarmingly.

The road accident toll reached 286 last year and the past five years have seen over 1,213 lives lost, primarily due to the absence of traffic signals and unrestrained driving.

The Kona Expressway has emerged as the killer corridor of Howrah district, claiming over 100 lives in the past two years. After lengthy deliberations at several meetings, the district authorities have blamed the accidents on a combination of faulty traffic signals, rash driving and the absence of streetlights on thoroughfares.

The authorities have now stepped on the pedal to try and get the traffic system in order. Senior police officials have turned the spotlight on the appalling lack of infrastructure and insufficient funds. “Bringing down the death toll from road accidents is top priority for the authorities now,” stressed district magistrate S. Kishore.

“We are trying to improve the condition by installing traffic signals and streetlights, but the problem lies in maintaining the equipment,” admitted Mihir Kumar Bhattacharjee, superintendent of police, Howrah. “Also, we do not have enough men to keep a vigil on the streets.” If Calcutta has 400 traffic sergeants, Howrah has only 30. According to data available with the police, nearly 60 per cent of all traffic improvement schemes are taking place in Calcutta, while all the districts together account for the rest.

In 1999, the number of accidents recorded in Howrah was 830, in which 179 died and 630 were injured. The figure dropped to 629 in 2000, but the death toll rose to 184. In 2001, the number of accidents touched 845, with 688 injuries and 291 deaths. In 2002, the total number of road accidents crossed the figure, with 714 injured and 274 dead.

Besides the Kona Expressway, the authorities have identified Golabari Road, Howrah-Amta Road, Drainage Canal Road and GT Road as the most “accident-prone” in Howrah.

Statistics further reveal that two important highways (NH-II and NH-VI) have claimed 151 lives in 345 accident cases. The district roads (including some lanes) accounted for 440 accidents in which 260 people lost their lives. “Apart for infrastructure shortcomings, a lack of awareness among the people is also to blame,” observed educationist Murari Mondal.