Multiple motorbikes skidded on the freshly coloured surfaces of Kolkata’s Chingrighata and Gariahat flyovers after rain on Wednesday afternoon, raising immediate safety concerns for riders using the elevated road corridors. The nature of the injuries suffered by the riders was not known at the time of publication.
A video showing motorbikes and riders sprawled on the wet road surface of the Chingrighata flyover was shared by Kunal Ghosh, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Beleghata, according to The Telegraph Online. The report said similar skidding incidents were also reported on the Gariahat flyover.
A Salt Lake resident quoted in the report said he was travelling with his daughter on the Chingrighata flyover when he saw motorcycles skidding one after another. The account points to the immediate difficulty faced by two-wheeler users when rain interacts with a newly treated road surface on a flyover, where recovery space can be limited.
The incidents came a day after urban development minister Agnimitra Paul told The Telegraph Online that the colours applied to the flyovers were not permanent. She said the treatment could wash off after a spell of heavy rain or remain for four or five months.
The use of coloured surfaces has also triggered questions about skid resistance and the basis on which the work was carried out. Ashutosh Chatterjee, one of the general secretaries of the Bengal Congress, had written to minister Paul and Smita Pandey, the municipal commissioner and administrator of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, warning that the colours could be dangerous for riders and drivers because of their low skid resistance.
Chatterjee told The Telegraph Online that the skidding incidents were expected and described the colouring as an impractical decision. He alleged that oil-based colours had been applied on asphalt and argued that the authorities should have considered the possible consequences before proceeding. These claims were not independently verified in the report.
The episode places attention on the operational safety of road-surface treatments, particularly on flyovers used by mixed traffic during Kolkata’s frequent rain spells. Unlike a decorative change in the streetscape, any coating applied to asphalt can affect how tyres interact with the surface, making its performance during wet conditions a direct road-safety issue.
The report did not specify the number of riders involved, the exact locations of the treated sections, the material used, whether the flyovers had been inspected after the incidents, or whether any temporary traffic-control measures had been introduced. It also did not include a response from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation or details of any formal safety assessment.
The immediate focus now is on determining the condition of the coloured surfaces after the rain and establishing whether the treatment complies with requirements for safe vehicle movement. The authorities’ response, including any inspection, removal or modification of the coating, will determine the next steps on the two flyovers.
