Kolkata: The sheen may have gone off the rainbow-painted Chingrighata flyover but its newfound notoriety is drawing an unexpected crowd. Viral videos of motorcycles skidding on the freshly painted surface have turned the flyover into a magnet for bikers eager to shoot reels, prompting police to deploy civic volunteers to discourage filming and plan stricter speed restrictions.Even on Friday, Sasthi, police regulated two-wheelers through advisories rather than imposing a complete ban. However, officers said the focus would now shift from restricting motorcycles during rain to reducing their speed throughout the day.The move followed an inspection by IIT-Kharagpur road-safety and transportation expert Bhargab Maitra, who identified a potentially dangerous combination of ageing mastic asphalt, multiple layers of paint, road curvature and inadequate surface friction.“The mastic asphalt layer is more than 13 years old and has lost its effectiveness in offering the required frictional resistance. Multiple layers of painting have further reduced the roughness. With every layer, brightness has improved but friction has been compromised,” Maitra observed.He said two-wheelers were particularly vulnerable because of their lower stability and smaller tyre contact area. The combination of downward gradients and curves further increases the risk of losing control, especially during drizzle.Significantly, Maitra recommended replacing the ageing mastic layer, installing speed cameras to enforce a 40-kmph speed limit and conducting safety audits of all city flyovers every six months.“We have put up signage and are regulating bikes. Following the inspection by the IIT expert and corrective work by KMDA, we are allowing motorcycles, although the advisory remains,” said a police officer.However, fresh videos showing bikers attempting to film the colourful stretch have added to the challenge. Civic volunteers have been deployed to prevent riders from stopping, slowing abruptly or shooting reels while negotiating the flyover.“Since the exact reason behind the accidents is not clear, we are not taking chances, particularly near the curve. We will reduce the maximum permissible speed and stagger traffic entering the flyover to minimise speeding,” a Lalbazar officer said.Police reiterated that two-wheelers would be stopped completely during rain. Maitra also pointed out that none of the riders involved in Wednesday’s viral skidding incidents had reported to police, limiting the scope of an accident-specific investigation.Meanwhile, KMDA has initiated manual and mechanised removal of paint to restore surface roughness, while speed-control measures have been introduced.Environmental activist SM Ghosh and other concerned citizens have sought written clarification from paint manufacturers on whether the coating was road-grade thermoplastic material and whether prescribed application standards were followed.
