Police in Malda town are making residents walk the extra mile, literally, to make them adhere to protective measures to guard against the novel coronavirus.

The police on Thursday made those who had stepped out without masks or other face cover leave their vehicles on the road and walk back home. The violators were allowed to retrieve their vehicles, mostly motorbikes and cycles, only after they returned wearing masks or other protective gear.

The Bengal government has made it mandatory for people to wear masks in public places to stop the coronavirus from spreading.

Malda police’s move showed almost immediate results as within three hours no violator could be spotted in town.

Dipen Chowdhury, a trader living at Government Colony-III, was waved down by two police personnel for not wearing a mask while returning from the market on his two-wheeler.

“You seem to be a gentleman. But you are not wearing a mask or any other face cover. This is unbecoming of you. Kindly leave your two-wheeler with us and get a mask from home and then take back your bike,” said one of the policemen, an assistant sub-inspector.

The embarrassed trader had to walk around 1km to a pharmacy to buy a mask and walked back to take his bike.

Jahangir Alam of Mirchak, another locality in Malda town, was also stopped by the police. Alam had to get off his cycle and call up a relative, who came with a mask. “I will never leave home without a mask,” Alam said, apologising to the police.

Purnendu Mukherjee, the inspector-in-charge of Habibpur, said 14 violators had been handed out the punishment in his area.

In Manikchak, local OC Goutam Chowdhury said 22 people had been made to wear masks.

In Baishnabnagar, 11 people were made to walk back to get a mask, said Tridip Pramanik, the local inspector-in-charge.

“We did not harass or misbehaved with any of them. They were simply asked to adhere to the directives of the government for their own safety and also for the safety of others. The same plan will be implemented across the district to discourage people from coming out without masks or any other face cover,” said Alok Rajoria, the Malda police chief.