Three motorcycles skidded in quick succession on Wednesday morning on a stretch of Chingrighata flyover, now wearing stripes of glossy paint.
Calcuttans had questioned the need for the pre-Puja paint job on flyovers, with concerns over its safety.
The accidents occurred around 5.30am, when a drizzle had left the flyover wet. Dashcam footage from a car following the motorcyclists down the ramp towards Salt Lake showed the riders losing control one after another. Police initially did not acknowledge the incidents, but the video later went viral on social media.
A senior officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said: “The incident has nothing to do with the use of paint. The first motorcyclist skidded, losing balance, and others followed because they couldn’t hold their balance while negotiating a turn.”
“This happened early in the morning, around 5.30am, when there was a drizzle. The motorcyclists got up and left. If this was because of the paint, how come no other skidding incident was reported before or after the incident?” the officer said.
The city received light rain on Wednesday morning and afternoon. The Met office recorded around 5mm of rainfall in Alipore till 5pm.
The pre-Puja beautification drive covered several flyovers, including those at Gariahat and Chingrighata. A colourful alpana has also been painted at Park Circus Seven Point, where urban development minister Agnimitra Paul joined artists.
Several road safety experts said glossy paint on asphalt could reduce tyre grip, depending on the type of paint and road conditions, particularly when wet.
“The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) does not recommend the use of multiple colours for two reasons — to avoid tyre skidding due to reduced friction and to prevent motorists from being distracted by the colours,” said Partha Pratim Biswas of Jadavpur University’s construction engineering department. “If paint has to be used, it should be on the flanks meant for slow-moving vehicles like cycles.”
Paul said the paint used on the road surfaces was “anti-skid” and that the colour scheme was temporary, intended only for Puja.
“Alpana is a Bengali tradition. Colours have been used on roads in America, Iceland and other places,” she said. Paul added that senior police officers and KMDA engineers had inspected the site and the incident was being examined.
“Whatever action is required will be taken. If necessary, we will remove the paint after Puja. This was not done with the state government’s money. It was a CSR project of a company,” she said.
The accidents triggered sharp criticism.
“The BJP government, which has come to power in Bengal by stealing the people’s mandate, is now putting peoples lives at risk! The freshly painted flyover has turned into a death trap, with bikes skidding and accidents occurring at the very first spell of rain. Minister @paulagnimitra1 must be held accountable for this gross negligence. The people of Bengal deserve safe roads, not dangerous infrastructure!” Trinamool posted on X.
The paint job also drew disapproval on social media.
One user questioned whether road signs, speed breakers and potholes would remain visible amid the “circus colours”. Another asked: “Should people stop riding till it washes off?”