After bike accidents were reported on Chingrihata flyover in the rain, Kolkata has begun fixing its festive paint job. Road studs, or reflectors, have reportedly been placed at intervals on Chingrihata, while paint is being scrubbed off Gariahat flyover. Officials have not yet explained the moves.

A nine-second video circulating on X shows a road-sweeper truck with rotating brushes scrubbing paint off Gariahat flyover. A separate post says reflectors have been placed at intervals on the painted Chingrihata flyover to avoid accidents.

What Led To The Paint Job?

Roads and flyovers across Kolkata were painted in bright colours ahead of Durga Puja. Gariahat flyover was decorated with colourful stripes and lights, according to images published on October 13. Reports on October 14 then said a purported dashcam video showed several bikers skidding on a freshly painted, rain-soaked flyover.

Can Paint Really Make A Road Slippery?

It can. A coating can change a road’s texture and reduce tyre grip, especially when wet, though specialised road-marking and high-friction materials are designed to avoid this. Two-wheelers balance on two narrow tyre patches, so a brief loss of grip while braking or leaning into a bend can be hard to recover from.

Will Road Studs Help?

Road studs are reflective markers fixed to the surface, typically used to improve visibility and mark lanes. They are not designed to change tyre grip, so whether they reduce skids on a wet painted stretch is a question for engineers. The key issue remains whether the paint met wet-skid-resistance requirements.

What Has Government Said?

According to The Indian Express, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul ordered an investigation, asking officials to inspect the stretch and find out why the riders fell.

She said anti-skid paint had been used, and that alternatives would be considered if the colours reduced visibility or inconvenienced motorists. She also said the work was funded through CSR contributions, not government money.

What Are Critics Saying?

Environmental campaigner Somendra Mohan Ghosh reportedly said ordinary paint, rather than a proper road-surface treatment, appeared to have been used. Congress leader Ashutosh Chatterjee wrote to the minister and KMC arguing that glossy paint where tyres run could be risky when wet. The Trinamool Congress called the painted flyover a potential death trap.