A milk van that was being driven on the wrong side of the Major Arterial Road (MAR) of New Town crashed into the median divider after it lost control near the Kolkata Gate on Monday.
An officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate’s traffic wing said the van was headed towards the airport. But the driver was driving it down the Salt Lake-bound flank of the Major Arterial Road at high speed when he lost control of the vehicle and it veered left before crashing into the median divider.
Traffic on the MAR was caught up for at least 25 minutes before a tow truck pulled the van back on its wheels and towed it away.
“The van had driven till the midway point between the Kolkata Gate and Westin Hotel when the driver spotted traffic coming from the other side, panicked and hit the median divider before the vehicle fell on its side,” said the officer.
Motorists passing by who had spotted the van lying on its side informed traffic policemen manning the crossing near Kolkata Gate. By the time a police team reached the spot, locals as well as drivers of other vehicles had managed to bring out the driver, his helper and two others who were trapped in the cabin of the van.
“We sent them to a nearby government health centre in a police vehicle where they were treated for their injuries,” said the officer.
Driving on the wrong side has emerged as one of the major traffic problems in New Town.