Islamabad police have been spotted in all new hybrid patrolling vehicles which include Toyota Prius and Corolla. The new fleet of cars are part of Safe City Project so that the police can reach the crime scene early. The new police vehicles have been provided by Japan to “contribute to the promotion of socio-economic development efforts in developing countries.”

Over 123 Japanese-made hybrid vehicles worth Rs435 million (500 million Japanese Yen) will be handed over to Pakistan by Japan.

Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata handed over the first fleet of the vehicles to the ministry at a ceremony held at the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) office on Friday. The handover ceremony was held at Islamabad Traffic Police Headquarters, with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan representing Pakistan.

This is part of Japan’s Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) aimed at contributing to the promotion of socio-economic development in developing countries. Speaking on the occasion, the ambassador said the environment-friendly vehicles such as hybrid cars were widely used in Japan.

Japanese Ambassador Inomata said, “Security enhancement is indispensable for successful socio-economic development in Pakistan, and the Government of Japan remains committed to improving the capabilities of Pakistani law enforcement agencies.”

He said: “This NPGA will provide a good opportunity for Pakistani people to realise positive effects on the environment brought about by hybrid vehicles.”

In the field of security and law enforcement, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has provided training opportunities to around 45 Pakistani police officers for the last 10 years in areas such as forensic science, drug control and terrorism investigation, he added. In addition, Japan also agreed to install scanning devices at three international airports and two ports of Pakistan.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said most of the vehicles would be given to the Islamabad police, the Federal Investigation Agency, Frontier Constabulary, NACTA and provincial governments, including KP. The minister said the share of the ITP personnel from the amount of ticket fines had been increased from 25 per cent to 35 per cent due to their good performance.

He said cash award of Rs 200,000 would be given to two ITP officials on a quarterly basis.

Why hybrid cars?

Hybrid vehicles use less fuel and emit less greenhouse emissions as compared to conventional vehicles. The latest hybrid vehicles from Japan are expected not only to enable the police to reduce cost of fuel for their daily operations but also help the government address environmental challenges.

Mr Inomata said: “Security enhancement is indispensable for successful socio-economic development, and the Japanese government remains committed to improving capabilities of law enforcement agencies in Pakistan.”

The vehicles are widely used by Japanese police, government entities and public transport, while also gaining popularity among the public.

About the author

Islamabad Scene