CHANDIGARH, June 3: The Chandigarh Traffic Police have raised serious concerns over the lack of safety infrastructure at the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in Sector 43, following two pedestrian accidents involving speeding buses within a span of three days in March.
In a communication to the UT transport department, the traffic police underscored “grave safety lapses” within the ISBT premises. Their internal analysis found that both incidents occurred near the entry and exit gates—areas where visibility remains compromised due to overgrown trees and poor lighting.
“The compound is missing basic traffic control features like speed limit signs, zebra crossings, stop lines, edge lines, and lane markings,” said a senior traffic official. “There are no traffic-calming measures such as rumble strips or road surface markings to prevent buses from accelerating.”
In the first incident, on March 2, 59-year-old Charan Singh was struck by a Punjab Roadways bus while walking toward the exit gate from the CTU workshop at around 10:45 p.m. The bus, driven by Punan Singh from Pathankot, hit him from the front-right side. Charan Singh was initially rushed to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, and later referred to PGIMER. He died of his injuries on March 5.
Two days later, on March 4, 71-year-old Hardayal Singh was severely injured when the front tyre of another Punjab Roadways bus ran over him while he was entering ISBT-43. Though he survived, he sustained serious injuries and required immediate medical attention.
Officials warned that in the absence of regulatory signage and pedestrian safeguards, buses are able to move in and out of the terminal at unsafe speeds. “The ISBT premises are essentially unregulated zones when it comes to traffic safety,” the officer added.
The police have urged the UT transport department to implement immediate corrective measures to avert further mishaps. These include pruning overgrown trees, installing adequate lighting, and introducing physical traffic-control infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety.
