The Thiruvananthapuram City police have launched ‘e-patrolling’ under areas of the Museum police limits that are frequented by numerous visitors on a daily basis.
A battery-operated scooter has been rolled out by the police on an experimental basis to bolster surveillance at popular places such as Museum, Zoo, and the Kanakakkunnu Palace premises that witness high footfalls.
A policeman will zoom around such areas to ensure a much-needed police presence in places where there is considerable movement of pedestrians.
District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) C.H. Nagaraju said the e-patrolling project would be extended to other places after assessing the pros and cons of the initiative. “Our priority will be to penetrate crowded areas in quick time and to bring down the response time in attending to exigencies,” he added.
The vehicle, which can attain a maximum speed to 10 kmph, is capable of running for nearly six hours after a full charge.
The police have been mulling various options to rein in instances of criminal activities and atrocities against women especially during late hours.
