Bangalore cops will be getting 220 new fully-loaded Maruti Suzuki Ertiga’s to replace the aging fleet of Mahindra Boleros.
Bangalore cops will be getting 220 new fully-loaded Maruti Suzuki Ertiga’s to replace the aging fleet of Mahindra Boleros. Most of the fleet are very old and are in poor condition and they will be scrapped. The newer cars will be retained.
Currently, the Bengaluru police have 184 Hoysala patrol vehicles. An increase in the number of vehicles will help increase patrolling and will have more number of cars ready at key areas of emergencies. The cars will come fitted with surveillance camera, Global Positioning System (GPS) with real-time mapping, loudspeaker, navigator, first aid kit and walkie-talkie. Every police station will get one car but stations with bigger jurisdictions will get two cars.
Bengaluru Police had earlier considered India’s most popular MPV, the Toyota Innova. But the Innova turned out to be too expensive thanks to its high price tag. For now, the Ertiga has been chosen because it is a more affordable option and it is more spacious but that might change if the department finds a more suitable vehicle.
“It’s a long-pending demand. We are discussing it. Most police stations complain that old vehicles need frequent repair. The vehicles break down midway and patrolling policemen have nothing but to wait,” an officer said. “So, we requested the government to give us new vehicles.”
Mumbai Police are currently using Maruti Suzuki Ertiga MPVs as patrol vehicles.
The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is available with a 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 94 bhp and 130 Nm of torque or a 1.-litre diesel engine with Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) system and it produces 89 bhp and 200 Nm of torque. The transmission options available are a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
The MPV starts at INR 6.18 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi) and goes up to INR 9.28 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi). It competes with the Honda Mobilio and the Renault Lodgy.
Source – Deccan Herald
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