Kolkata Traffic Police is introducing advance traffic displays and additional vehicle-removal spaces on Maa Flyover to prevent long queues when the elevated route is blocked by a breakdown, accident or other obstruction. The new system is expected to begin next week, according to information from Lalbazar reported by Anandabazar – Kolkata.
The Maa Flyover connects the Park Circus area with the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and carries heavy traffic during office, school and college hours. When a vehicle breaks down or an accident occurs on the flyover, removing it can take time. Traffic queues can consequently build up across the elevated stretch, forcing police to temporarily stop vehicles from entering the flyover.
Under the new arrangement, drivers approaching the flyover will be informed about its traffic conditions before they reach the entry points. Two types of display systems are being planned on roads leading towards the flyover. The displays will indicate when traffic movement on the elevated route has been stopped, allowing drivers approaching from Park Circus or the EM Bypass to decide whether to take an alternative route.
A police official told the publication that the advance information would help motorists understand the traffic situation before entering the flyover and make an early decision if the route was closed. The measure is intended to address a recurring information gap in which drivers discover the closure only after reaching the congested approach roads.
The traffic police has also expanded the arrangements for handling vehicles that become disabled or are involved in accidents. Three locations have already been created by cutting sections of the divider on the flyover. These spaces can be used to keep broken-down or accident-damaged vehicles while traffic operations continue.
Three more such spaces are now being created by cutting additional sections of the divider. The aim is to move affected vehicles away from active traffic lanes more quickly, particularly during the morning peak, when even a single obstruction can trigger a longer queue and require a temporary closure of the flyover.
The intervention comes ahead of the festive season, when traffic volumes in Kolkata typically place additional pressure on key corridors. The reported measures combine quicker incident management on the flyover with earlier communication to approaching drivers, rather than relying only on diversions after congestion has already formed.
The Kolkata Traffic Police is also planning to install automatic number-plate recognition cameras on Maa Flyover on a trial basis. The proposed cameras would help the police obtain vehicle information when a traffic rule is violated. The source report did not provide a date for the camera trial or details of the specific violations that the system would initially monitor.
The display system is scheduled to be introduced from next week, while the additional vehicle-holding spaces and proposed camera installation form part of the broader traffic-management response on the flyover.