‘U-Turn’ ahead: Cops tackle thrill-seeking bikers with new initiative

Kolkata: With bikers increasingly performing risky stunts—lifting front or rear wheels, executing abrupt U-turns and harsh disc braking—the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate has rolled out a new initiative to curb the

dangerous behaviour.

On the Kalyani Expressway, young riders often display stunts. Many of these acts even make their way into reels and videos, inspiring others to copy them. To address this, the Traffic Division has introduced the “U-Turn” programme. Identified bikers are summoned, often with their guardians and shown past accident footage to help them understand the gravity of their actions. The hope is that first-hand confrontation with the consequences will lead them to stop performing stunts and instead champion the slogan “Safe Drive, Save Life”.

In addition to direct engagement, riders are distributing leaflets at busy turns on the expressway and are planning to create and share awareness videos on social media. The move follows a spike in fatal bike crashes during Durga Puja, after which the police launched a special drive.

Over 5,000 drivers have already been booked for traffic violations in that period. According to Amlankusum Ghosh, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) said: “We identified these bikers through their social media posts, now they are promoting ‘Safe Drive, Save Life’ campaign, this would be a significant lesson for others.”