Calcutta, March 31: Pedestrians and customers at a jewellery store on Chowringhee Road had a close shave this afternoon when a bus broke through a railing, climbed the pavement and jolted to a stop a few inches away.

The driver of the bus on route 3C/1 was arrested and taken to the Bhowanipore police station as terrified passersby and shoppers looked on in disbelief.

“It was speeding towards Elgin Road when it suddenly swerved left and hit the railing near the Elgin Road-Asutosh Mukherjee Road intersection,” a police officer said.

Witnesses said the bus had been trying to overtake another one since going past the Exide crossing .

Road cave-in

A part of the road near the Galiff Street hawkers’ market caved in today.

Civic engineers said a pipe was being laid nearby over the past month and a half. “With the sand layer becoming loose, the road gave way,” said Priyotosh Ghosh, the CMC chief engineer.