Accidents are a regular occurence at the Kalpana Square in Bhubaneswar because of traffic chaos. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 21: An unidentified man was run over by a speeding bus in front of the state museum near Kalpana Square this morning.

The accident took place barely 200 meters away from the district and sessions court, Khurda, where on Wednesday four persons had sustained injuries after a trekker hit a bicycle.

Police said the incident occurred around 11am when the victim was trying to cross the road from the museum end. The bus sped away after hitting him. Police rushed to the spot immediately and sent the body to the Capital Hospital for post mortem. Police officials said they were trying to trace the vehicle involved in the accident.

This stretch of the National Highway 203 has become dangerous with traffic from several approach roads converging onto it.

“The stream of traffic coming from Rajmahal Square, Mausima Temple, fire station, BJB College and Bhanja Kala Mandap joins here. It is crowded at all hours of the day,” said an official.

With institutions such as the state museum and the Bhanja Kala Mandap, situated along the stretch even traffic policemen find management difficult.

“There are big establishments such as Tehsil office, BMC office, Hotel Kalinga Ashoka and the BJB College on both sides of the road. Even the buses plying between Bhubaneswar and Puri halt at the square making it difficult to negotiate,” said an official.

The two traffic policemen at Kalpana Square have to manage the entire area, a task that seems to be clearly beyond them. A lady traffic constable on duty at the Square said: “The drivers often flout the rules and ignore the signal. Many enter the wrong lane causing problems.”

Pedestrians, too, are afraid of crossing the road during the peak hours. “There is a jam every now and then. One has to cross the road at one’s own risk,” said Santosh Parida, a vendor. Sources said that traffic pressure on the stretch was unlikely to ease till the bypass from Palasuni to Daya Bridge is constructed. However, according to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) the road work, which is yet to begin, was unlikely to be over before 2015.

According to the project director of state national highways division, B. C. Pradhan the congestion on the road would reduce is any significant manner only if a flyover is constructed. “A flyover has become a must here as the pressure of traffic keeps growing year after year,” said Pradhan. He also indicated that suggestions in this regard to the works department have already been made.