HYDERABAD: In what seems to be yet another step to take the brand of Telangana Police to a different level, men in kakhi here would soon ride on custom-made Chinese bikes equipped with added technology features. Going by the information available, these bikes are to hit the roads in a couple of days.
For the first time, the State would provide Fab Regal Raptor bikes to policemen for patrolling purposes. In the pilot project, these 320CC bikes would be allocated to Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad police.
The department, as of now, has decided to procure as many as 10 cruiser motorcycles from the Chinese bike manufacturer Regal Raptor, which in association with Fabulous and Beyond (FAB) Motors, had opened its first India showroom in Jubilee Hills here in June 2015.
Fab Motors, at the time of its showroom launch then, had announced investment of `1,000 crore to set up a manufacturing facility on the city outskirts.
Earlier, in a major facelift for state police, the government had purchased Toyota Innova SUVs, Mahindra Scorpio SUVs and Hero CBZ X-treme bikes spending a few hundred crores.
“Each bike costs about Rs 3 lakh. These high end bikes would be used in meeting emergency situations. For this purpose, a specially designated staff will be provided special training to ride on the bike by an expert to be provided by dealer of Regal Raptor,” a senior official said.
After a team of officials visited the showroom, two models have been shortlisted-Regal Raptor Daytona 350 costing Rs 3.72 lakh (on-road Hyderabad) and Regal Raptor dd350e-9b costing `3.41 lakh(on-road Hyderabad).
The higher officials have also obtained a report from security experts and asked the manufacture of bikes to make some more additional designs of the motorcycle.
The manufacturer has made additional features such as installing medium loud speakers both sides of front portion along with Red and Blue beacons. There will be a front mirror on which there will be a logo of Telangana Police.
Will the motorcycles suit the city roads?
Former principal secretary (Home) and retired DG-ranked officer PV Rangaiah Naidu, raised apprehensions about the suitability of these bikes to the city roads or riding in meeting emergency situations.
“What I suggest is the officials to take a few bikes initially and do some practice on the roads. If these bikes are useful in maintaining law and order, we can consider it to purchase in bulk,” Rangaiah Naidu said.
M G Shahriq, managing director of FAB Motors, told Express that the bike can accelerate at 0-60 kmph in 3.5 seconds.
Training is a must
Considering the traffic situation on Hyderabad roads, these 350 cc bikes will only add on to the pressure that the police force already undergoes, said a bike enthusiast, on the condition of anonymity.
“Apart from this, the bikes have a fuel efficiency of only 20-25 km per litre (kmpl). Shifting from 150 or 180 cc bike to a 350 cc bike is also not an easy task for a motorist. It requires training and proper understanding,” he said.
According to him, these bikes require high maintenance and a lot of understanding before taking to the roads.
“The security personnel need to be trained before using them and understand the working and make of these bikes to steer through the roads. The handling of roads and is a challenge and only those properly trained can do it,” he said.