In a first, RPF gets patrol ‘segways’

And that too without the Khaki clad personnel sweating it out. RPF should be able to reach the travelers in a matter of a few minutes no matter what end of the platform commuters are in? Wonder why? Southern Railway (SR) on Wednesday introduced segways to ease the mobility of RPF personnel on the 12 platforms at the Central terminal on a pilot basis.

RPF has provided six segways costing Rs 5.16 lakh to its personnel at Central station. The electric segways, which are capable of clocking 14km/hour maximum, would ensure a mileage of 30kms for a single chare of three hours. “Beat staff have to cover the entire stretch many times in a day. Segways will help reduce the response time to any emergency. It will also improve efficiency by reducing staff fatigue,” Santhosh Namby Chandra, senior divisional security commissioner of Chennai Railway Division told DT Next. “It is a pilot project. After studying the effectiveness of the segways, we will extend it to other major stations,” he added, explaining that the segways also enhance visibility as the personnel traveling on a platform would get a better view of the far end of the terminal even on the move.