Finding it difficult to patrol the narrow lanes and by-lanes of the Walled City, Delhi Police is making use of a very humble mode of transport to keep an eye on things, the ubiquitous bicycle.
Believe it or not, but even in this fast-paced time and age, Delhi Police personnel can be seen patrolling congested areas, where patrolling in PCR vans and motorbikes is next to impossible, twice a day on bicycles. “The Walled City area has narrow congested by-lanes. Going into some of the alleys is tough even on a motorcycle, leave alone a PCR van. These bicycles will help us reach such areas,” a police official said.
The decision to use bicycles was taken after police received repeated complaints of crimes taking place in the labyrinths of the Walled City under Kotwali police station area and the cops had a tough time reining in the perpetrators. “Recently, there has been a spate of street crimes, including thefts and snatching in the parks and congested by-lanes of the Walled City area,” the police official said.
However, they decided to do it in style with high-performance bicycles, fitted with battery-operated searchlights and other paraphernalia required for patrolling. “As motorcycles cannot be used in these congested areas, we purchased eight high-performance five-gear bicycles, costing around Rs 10,000 each and gave them to beat constables. They patrol the problem areas for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening as snatchers had targeted morning and evening walkers in parks,” he added.
The patrolling starts at 8 am and in the evening it is from 4 pm to 6 pm. Not just this, bicycles are also being used for patrolling in Delhi University area and adjoining Roop Nagar area of North Delhi.
While the common man might be amused by this initiative, police said the use of cycles helps cops reach the crowded inner lanes with ease. “It’s easy to get around on a bicycle during a traffic jam and in the crowded lanes where people can be seen jostling for space. Also, using motorcycles near parks was not possible as joggers and other people who exercise there did not appreciate the noise and also complained that it was causing pollution,” police said.
Pointing out the dual advantage of using cycles, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma said: “This will not only help us keep a tab on illegal activities in areas inaccessible by other vehicles, it has the added advantage of keeping the policemen fit. In fact, police personnel are being motivated to use bicycles for these reasons.”