The Mumbai Police has expanded its fleet of Segways to patrol seafaces and promenades in the city, as part of its efforts to ensure safety and security at tourist spots. The move comes just days after a picture of people descending in hordes at Marine Drive as soon as the lockdown was eased, went viral on social media.
State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh inaugurated the first 15 of the 50 segways, self-balancing electric scooters equipped to carry one person, at Marine Drive. Mr. Deshmukh said, “While the deployment will begin with 10 segways at Worli, and five at Nariman Point, we eventually plan to deploy these latest self-balancing electric scooters at Bandra, Juhu and Versova too. The Home Ministry is keen on the modernisation of Maharashtra’s police force and wants them to be equipped with technology on a par with global policing standards.”
Police personnel manning the segways will be provided with face masks and equipped with public address systems. “Apart from ensuring safety and security in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will also monitor adherence to social distancing norms. Drones will provide additional complementary cover to the police personnel on Segways,” Mr. Deshmukh said.
Segways were first added to the police’s fleet of vehicles on an experimental basis in 2017, with two segways being pressed into service. Subsequently, the number was increased to nine, with five segways deployed at Marine Drive and four at Worli.
