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Bengal

Bike racing: Cops intensify vigil in city’s neighbouring areas

The police have intensified vigil in city’s neighbouring areas apprehending that the gang of bike-racers may find a safe haven in those areas to continue with their “adventures” after riding of two-wheelers were restricted on three flyovers in the city at night.

The movement of two-wheelers on AJC Bose Road Flyover, Maa Flyover and Park Street Flyover was restricted from 10 pm to 6 am of the next day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised her concern about the racing of bikes on the flyovers while launching the “Safe Drive Save Life” campaign last week.

On that day itself, the Kolkata Police had posted policemen at both ends of the flyovers and bikes were not allowed to ply on them. The overnight patrolling by the policemen had made the task quite difficult for the bike racers.

Moreover, immediate action taken against some of the errant drivers after monitoring their movement from the control room of the city police’s traffic department through surveillance cameras has made the bike racers apprehensive of taking any risk. According to a senior officer of the city police’s traffic department, in such a situation the only option for those people is to find out a new place where they “can continue with their adventure”.

“Thus, vigil has been intensified all over the city so that they cannot shift to some other parts and 
enjoy racing bikes keeping their lives at stake,” said VS Nesakumar, DC (Traffic), Kolkata Police.

As they may also shift to areas adjacent to the city, senior police officers in Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas have also directed Officers-in-Charge of police stations under whose jurisdictions there are flyovers to keep a watch and to take necessary actions if any gang of bike-racers were spotted.
The areas that can be chosen by the bike racers include Biswa Bangla Sarani, Belgharia Expressway, 2.2 km long Kestopur-Baguiati Flyover and Nagerbazar Flyover. 

In Howrah, Kona Expressway would come up as a favourite place for them to ride bike at top speed while that of in South 24-Parganas they may choose Kamalgazi Flyover, which is around 1.164 km long. The reason behind choosing such flyovers for bike-racing is that they place bets of crossing a flyover within a short-span of time. The biker wins a good amount of money if he can meet the challenge.

Heavy duty 750 cc and above motorcycles like Suzuki, Triumph, Honda are used for racing at night. Besides, flyovers highways are also another favourite spots of the bike-racers. On highways, the participants wait on either side of the road and they have to go across the road amidst fast moving vehicles, particularly trucks. They get money for doing that successfully and the bikers do not wear helmets. According to a senior police officer, youth participate in such racing after keeping their parents in dark.

Sukhendu Hira, DC (Traffic) of Bidhannagar commissionerate, said that they have increased the vigil and are also keeping a watch whether the gang of the bike-racers shift to their jurisdiction after three flyovers were closed for two-wheelers at night.

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