Kolkata Police to acquire electric scooters for easier patrolling

If things go according to plan, Kolkata Police is soon going to get self-driving electric scooters for patrolling. After Puducherry and Mumbai, where the police use such vehicles for patrolling beaches, Kolkata is next in line to acquire the scooters.

These scooters are driven standing up. Being electric scooters, they are environment-friendly. Each charge would drive the scooter for 30 to 35 km. they run at a speed of 15 to 20 kilometres per hour. They are also much lighter than normal scooters. According to police sources, four of these vehicles would be bought initially.

However, unlike Puducherry and Mumbai, police sources said that the vehicles in Kolkata would be used for patrolling areas along the bank of the Hooghly and in the Maidan, where a lot of people come for morning and evening walks. The scooters can also be used in narrow lanes, where cars are difficult to manoeuvre.

Police personnel would be given trained to handle this special type of electric scooters. These scooters would have pockets for keeping walkie-talkie and radio sets. Special charging kiosks would also be set up for convenient charging.