After almost two years of the fire brigade starting the procedure to buy fire bikes, which will be useful for the city’s narrow lanes, they are finally on their way. The tender process is completed and the proposal will be sent to the standing committee within a fortnight.

Mumbai has ample fire engines and a 90-metre hydraulic ladder for high-rises, but the fire brigade was keen to have mini fire stations and small fire engines to quickly act upon blazes in narrow lanes and congested areas. The move came after a fire broke out in a medical store in Andheri West, where nine people were killed on June 30, 2016. Narrow lanes, traffic jams and vehicles parked on both sides of the roads, are issues that plague the city. The incident emphasised the need for mini vehicles that could negotiate through the congested areas and prompted preliminary action. But the plan to acquire fire bikes has been delayed by almost two years for various reasons.