Kolkata, Sept. 18 -- Kolkata Police on Friday inducted 60 electric motorcycles to strengthen its 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and reduce response time to distress calls. The first batch is part of a procurement of 183 e-motorcycles.
Flagged off at Lalbazar, the motorcycles have been funded by West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme and supplied by Ultraviolette Automotive. The bikes will primarily be deployed at police stations for 112 ERSS duties. The force is also likely to receive four-wheelers soon to respond to distress calls within minutes, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand said.
Nand said the move could reduce fuel and maintenance costs, with conventional motorcycles costing the force around Rs 2.5 lakh a year in fuel and maintenance. "If this works well, we can save a good amount of money," he said, adding that servicing would not be compromised.
He said e-motorcycles were more suited to urban policing, while road conditions and charging infrastructure could make their use difficult in rural areas.
Addressing monsoon concerns, Nand said the manufacturer had assured the police that the bikes were IP-rated and their battery packs fully secured. An annual maintenance contract will provide technical support. WBPDCL chairman and managing director P B Salim said the PSU, which was loss-making when he took charge in 2020, had been making operational profits for the past two years, enabling it to provide CSR support to government departments including Kolkata Police.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.