Bhubaneswar: The death of a morning walker in the early hours of Thursday at Bhimtangi has raised concerns about road safety.

Laxmidhar Mallia, 52, a Class-III employee at the secretariat, suffered severe injuries after a speeding car lost control and hit him. Witnesses said the car first hit an electric pole and lost balance before hitting the victim.

Both the driver and Mallia were rushed to Capital Hospital. While Mallia succumbed to injuries, the driver managed to flee from the hospital.

Another morning walker had died in front of Kalinga Stadium on January 22 after being hit by a car.

A number of morning walkers jog on several main roads, including stretches connecting Raj Bhavan Square with Chandrasekharpur, Acharya Vihar with Kalinga Hospital Square and Vani Vihar Square with Master Canteen Square. While hundreds of walkers throng the city's parks, others opt for main roads, which remain relatively less congested during early hours.

"Most footpaths beside the main road have been encroached upon, forcing us to jog on the roads. In the absence of adequate public parks, most of us have no option, but to walk on the roads," said Pitabas Das.

Bhubaneswar has a population of more than 10 lakh. Yet, only a handful parks are big enough to accommodate the hordes of walkers. While the Bhubaneswar Development Authority has 65 public parks, the civic body has 28 community parks. However, most of these parks suffer from a lack of maintenance, forcing walkers to stay away.

The Kalinga Stadium authorities had earlier restricted the entry of walkers. Several groups have also staged demonstrations.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said they had seized the car. "We are also trying to nab the driver. We urge the people to remain alert while walking on the main roads," said Bhoi.