Visakhapatnam: Railway Protection Force to boost patrolling with use of segways

Visakhapatnam: The two-wheeled, battery operated Segways make inroads into Waltair Railway Division platforms as the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel reach out to the passengers faster than before in case of any emergency.

With a view to easing platform patrolling for RPF and enhancing the emergency response, two Segway scooters have been launched recently in the city. These compact-looking scooters can travel up to a maximum speed of 15-km per hour once the battery is charged for 35 minutes.

Followed by an encouraging response for the self-balanced scooters, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF, Waltair Division Jitendra Srivastava says that proposals were in place to add more number of Segways to the division. "After Delhi and Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam is the first station in Andhra Pradesh to introduce such facility. The response for the new patrolling system is quite encouraging as it paves way for improved response time and crowd control, visible policing and better mobility of the force. Going forward, more Segways will be added to the fleet," he says.

Of the 125 staff, 20 RPF personnel, both men and women, have been trained in operating the Segways. Currently, they were operated on platform numbers one and eight. "At present, these platforms are conducive for the two-wheeled machines as they require wide space to move around. Apart from adding a greater number of Segways to the Waltair Railway Division, they will also be introduced in Vizianagaram and Rayagada in a phased manner," elaborates K P James, Assistant Security Commissioner, RPF.

In a place where more than 150 trains arrive and depart and most trains stop for about 20-25 minutes in Visakhapatnam, the staff says that strict policing is required during such time. "Among other complaints, handbag and mobile thefts top the chart. Though we have about 48 CCTV cameras in place, Segways aid in accessing the coaches faster to address complaints," reasons James.

RPF finds the Segways extremely helpful as they can reach out to passengers who are in dire need in no time. "They are user-friendly to operate on the platforms. The facility simplifies our work and improves efficiency," says DGS Achari, RPF staff at the station.

In addition to installing over 70 CCTV cameras, RPF would soon be equipped with body-worn cameras for better policing.