The Chingrighata flyover in Kolkata has been fitted with special speed-control blocks and its newly applied road paint is being removed after multiple motorcyclists reportedly fell when rain made the surface slippery. The state government has ordered an investigation into the incidents and the use of the road coating is being reviewed ahead of the festival season.
The action followed a video showing several motorcycles skidding on the rain-soaked flyover. According to Sangbad Pratidin’s report, the road had been painted as part of a city beautification exercise, with an anti-skid coating reportedly used on the surface. Authorities are examining how the road became unsafe despite that treatment.
Engineers from the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation reached the site at night after receiving instructions from the municipal and urban development department. Work began to remove the paint and address the slippery surface. Special blocks were also installed to help control vehicle speeds on the flyover.
Municipal and urban development minister Agnimitra Pal said specialists and officials from the relevant departments had been instructed to investigate the cause of the accidents. She also said authorities were examining whether the colour or finish of the road was affecting drivers’ vision and that an alternative would be considered if necessary.
The reported incidents occurred after a spell of rain led to water accumulating on the painted road. Complaints had also emerged that the surface became slippery during rainfall and that the paint could dazzle drivers in bright sunlight. The concerns were particularly significant for two-wheeler users, who are more vulnerable to loss of traction on wet or uneven road surfaces.
The Chingrighata intervention has also prompted a similar response in Asansol. A road at Shahid Bhagat Singh More, which had been painted before the festival season, was reportedly stripped of its coating overnight after officials prioritised road-user safety. The temporary removal does not mark the end of the beautification programme. Authorities are considering the use of alternative anti-skid materials after consulting specialist engineers.
The road-painting work was reportedly being funded through corporate social responsibility contributions from paint manufacturers. The incidents have now placed greater focus on how such projects are designed, tested and monitored before they are applied to live traffic corridors. A treatment intended to improve the appearance of a road must also maintain traction in wet conditions, avoid visibility problems and work safely for different categories of road users.
The investigation will determine why the Chingrighata surface became hazardous and whether the material, application method, drainage conditions or weather contributed to the crashes. For now, the authorities’ immediate steps are the removal of the paint, installation of speed-control blocks and preparation of a revised treatment plan for safer road beautification.
