Kolkata Police starts fresh vehicle count at Chingrighata
Times of India | 26 June 2025
Kolkata: The Kolkata Traffic Police has begun a new round of counting of vehicles at Chingrighata following multiple changes in traffic flow towards Sector V from the Kolkata side. At present, the ‘traffic tails' reach Metropolitan. Previously, it would reach up to Ambedkar Setu during peak morning hours. Senior officers said the audit will help them assess whether traffic blocks for construction of the underpass, a Bailey bridge, the expansion of the main crossing and upcoming Metro work would affect the traffic flow or not.
Special focus is being given to ascertain the total number of two-wheelers moving in the area, which is reportedly witnessing a surge in private vehicles following the restrictions put on movement of app-based minibuses. Recently, Kolkata Traffic Police decided not to allow any 16-seater and 26-seater vehicle — usually the app-based minibuses carrying IT employees to the IT sector and back towards Howrah and Behala-Joka — to use the Maa Flyover. With app buses from Behala and Howrah forced to move below the flyover, travel time has increased by at least an hour. On top of that, they are also not being allowed to take the Chingrighata Flyover. This has led several Sector V-New Town-Rajarhat office-goers to opt for their own two-wheelers or four-wheelers or app bikes, leading to a rise in private vehicles in the area. "We might revisit this policy after the counting is completed," said a Lalbazar source. The per-minute traffic volume discharge at the Metropolitan end of Maa Flyover during office hours is now back to the pre-Covid era. "We have 350 plus vehicles per minute now on this stretch after vehicles get over the 8 km stretch in a jiffy," said a traffic police source. The police stated that these app-based minibuses occupy wider space and often tend to cut lanes even when they do not overspeed. "There are three key corners where vehicles take sharper turns on the flyover. These are places where these vehicles often create hurdles for others to negotiate space," stated an officer. The police have already allowed special concessions for these vehicles to take a right turn from under the Chingrighata Flyover towards Sector V instead of Chingrighata Flyover to decongest the flyover.