Modification measures
A PWD engineer said India’s road-marking requirements, including IRC:35 and Union road transport ministry specifications, prescribe material-performance and skid-resistance parameters. Urban road-marking guidelines call for an initial British Pendulum Number of 55 and a minimum threshold of 45, he said. KMDA also installed anti-skid reflective road studs and reflective buttons on flyovers, while police announced restrictions on the movement of two-wheelers on them during rain.
Kolkata Police commissioner Ajay Nand said additional precautions were being taken to ensure the safety of two-wheeler riders on Chingrighata flyover. We have issued cautionary boards and will regulate bikers from using the flyover when it rains,” Nand told TOI . Kolkata: Kolkata roads, in the final lap of Durga Puja preparations, witnessed an unusual sight of mechanical scrubbers working overtime, apparently to remove layers of paint that had been applied with much fanfare only a few days ago. State urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul, who had overseen the pre-puja road-painting drive, initially defended the exercise, insisting the material was anti-skid. “The paint used is anti-skid. Apparently, there is no chance for vehicles to skid. The painting has been done to keep up with the mood of the festive season and it is not a permanent feature. Road engineers and civil engineers questioned whether the painted surfaces had undergone the necessary friction tests, particularly for wet-weather conditions. However, he clarified the circumstances leading to the incidents involving bikers had yet to be established as police had not obtained CCTV footage of the incidents. “We are not sure how the incident took place as no CCTV footage is available. However, since a lot of reels of the rainbow road are available on social media, people may indulge in reel-making. We would advise them not to do so.
The colour will naturally fade with time,” Paul told TOI on Wednesday.
Beleghata Traffic Guard officers said speed monitoring was intensified on Chingrighata flyover, with motorists exceeding the limit facing prosecution. “We are also staggering entry onto the flyover after rain so that bikers do not get an open stretch ahead of them to race,” an officer said.