 Mechanics work on DGP Shangharis new Honda City at the Central Police Workshop, Byculla. Pic: Ashish Raje. The Mumbai police force got its swankiest car yesterday afternoon (January 19) at the Central Police workshop at Byculla. Director General of Police SM Shangharis new official car, the Honda City, was brought to the workshop for a preliminary checking before the states police chief uses it. The addition of new cars to the police force has resulted in lower repair bills. The police readily agree that new vehicles means they can manage with the Rs 4.5 crore the government sets aside for repairs every year.
The Honda City is the latest entrant in a fleet that already boasts of Toyota Qualis, for officers of the rank of senior inspector and assistant commissioners of police, and the Tata Indigo, for officers above the rank of additional commissioner of police.
The Honda City has been marked for police officials of and above the rank of additional director general of police.
Eighty per cent of all police vehicles in the city and state are new or less than three years old and this makes the Rs 4.5 crore we get every year sufficient for repairs, said Kishore Joshi, deputy commissioner of police (motor transport).
According to Joshi, buying new vehicles for the police was a process that started in 2000 under the Police Modernisation Programme and over the next couple of years, the city police will be making their rounds in completely new vehicles.
Moreover the repair bills are also lower as vehicles are coming in with just minor problems. Being new most dont need much overhauling anyway, Joshi remarked.
The polices motor transport division has 1,900 drivers on its rolls and 500 technicians working in its workshops at Tardeo, Santa Cruz, Marol, Ghatkopar and Worli apart from the main one at Byculla.
The department services 2,255 vehicles, which include 1,425 petrol and 830 diesel vehicles of the Mumbai Police and another 211, comprising 131 petrol and 80 diesel vehicles, of the state police.
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