Mumbai police get 5 new Segways to patrol promenades at Bandra, Worli & Versova
The five new Segways are in addition to the four already being used to patrol the promenade at Marine Drive (Representational Image, Courtesy: Mumbai Times)
After a successful trial run, Mumbai police have procured five more Segways to patrol promenades at Worli, Bandra, and Versova.
The ones procured recently are in addition to the four already used by the Marine Drive police station to patrol the promenade under their jurisdiction.
According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, the city police had purchased the two self-balancing transportation vehicles from China in August 2017 on a pilot basis to patrol Marine Drive. The Segways were kitted with police beacons, walkie-talkies, and holders.
While the move garnered praise from citizens initially, the project was short-lived as cops stopped using them after six months due to battery and maintenance problems.
When media reports highlighted the state of the existing scooters in September last year, an Indian firm – Freego Segways – came forth and helped put them back on track. The firm also reportedly donated two of their own Segways in October.
After three months of use, officials were confident in their ability and placed an order for five more Segways. The new ones will be used to patrol Bandra Bandstand, Worli Sea Face and Versova beach.
They will be modified with additional components and Mumbai Police branding this week, following which they will be handed over to the respective police stations and put to use.
