BENGALURU: The government is examining a rental or leasing model for police vehicles to reduce the burden of upfront capital expenditure and enable the police department to add vehicles faster based on operational requirements, said Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday.
The minister held a meeting with officials from the Police Department’s Communications, Logistics and Modernisation Division and representatives of more than 20 automobile and two-wheeler manufacturers to discuss the feasibility of the proposed model.
The government will assess the financial and operational viability of renting or leasing vehicles before taking a final decision, with factors such as maintenance, repairs, replacement vehicles, service costs, contract periods, vehicle usage and operational duration to be considered. “The government’s objective is not merely to purchase vehicles; our priority is to use public money judiciously while enhancing the efficiency of the police,” Kharge said.
Under the proposed model, vehicles could be deployed more quickly for law-and-order duties, patrolling, emergency response and investigations, allowing the fleet to be expanded or adjusted according to changing requirements. The meeting also examined the possibility of deploying electric vehicles alongside conventional vehicles for operations. Officials and manufacturers discussed the suitability of different vehicle categories for various policing requirements.
Kharge said outright purchase of vehicles places heavy capital expenditure burden on the government, while a rental or leasing arrangement could provide greater flexibility in fleet management and maintenance. “Instead of incurring a large expenditure at one time, we will examine all possibilities of adding vehicles quickly according to the department’s requirements and managing their usage and maintenance more efficiently,” he said.
He said modern policing required not only adequate manpower but also mobility, technology and infrastructure. The government was working to modernise the operational infrastructure of the department, including its vehicle fleet, he said.