The spot on VIP Road, near the Haldiram outlet, site of two mishaps on Sunday. Picture by Amit Datta

Vehicles speeding on VIP Road ran over a middle-aged pedestrian and knocked down two young men on Sunday when traffic was light. Both mishaps occurred near the Haldiram bus stop.

Around 9.30am, 54-year-old Bipul Bose left his family’s shop to buy a newspaper from a hawker on the other side of the road. He could only reach the middle of the Ultadanga-bound flank before two racing minibuses were upon him.

“The first minibus managed to swerve past at the last moment, but the second couldn’t. Its rear wheels crushed the man,” said Ashish Ghosh, who witnessed the mishap.

Both minibuses managed to speed away. The bus that crushed Bose was plying on the Birati-BBD Bag route, said an officer of Baguiati police station.

Bose, who lived in nearby Arjunpur, was taken to Charnock Hospital, off Rajarhat New Town Road, by his son Ashish and passers-by. He died before doctors could treat him.

About four hours later, two friends from Bihar on a trip to the city were staring at death in the face on the other flank of the same stretch. Two taxis hurtled towards them as they were crossing the road. One of the vehicles knocked down the men before speeding away behind the other.

Witnesses said the taxis were being driven recklessly. Passers-by took Rajendra Yadav and Bilkis Yadav to a local nursing home, from where they were released after first-aid.

The police blamed the accidents on drivers accelerating on roads with sparse traffic on Sundays.

According to Lalbazar, two to four mishaps take place on Sundays and public holidays. On an average weekday, when the volume of traffic is much more, about five accidents are usually recorded.

Ranveer Kumar, the special additional commissioner (traffic), feels mishaps on holidays can be avoided if motorists drive as carefully as they do on other days. He also blamed “careless” pedestrians for mishaps on holidays.

Psychologists attest to the trend of speeding on holidays. “People have to restrain themselves and follow restrictions throughout the week. On holidays, they tend to break the rules. Speeding is one of the ways,” said psychologist Anuttama Banerjee.

That fewer traffic policemen are on the road — 1,500 on Sundays against 3,500 on weekdays — doesn’t help either.