THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a lesson from the recent fatal accident of a police vehicle escorting CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the state police has decided to ensure that vehicles with adequate safety features on par with that of VIP’s vehicles are used for VIP escort duties. In the first phase, four brand-new Toyota Innova Crysta vehicles will be purchased for escort duty of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Administrative Reforms Commission chairperson V.S. Achuthanandan.
According to government sources, the police have cited that while VVIPs use comparatively new vehicles with advanced safety features, the vehicles that often provide escort services do not have safety features on par with VIPs’ vehicles. Hence the escort vehicles are at a higher risk of accident when the VIPs’ vehicles move at higher speeds. “There are even occasions when the escort vehicle would be trailing further behind, unable to catch up with the speed of VIP's vehicle,” said a police official.
Civil police officer P. Praveen was killed and seven police personnel were injured after the escort vehicle of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan lost control at a curve at Thiruvalla in September. Following this incident the police had proposed that vehicles with adequate safety features be used for VIP security. The government has already sanctioned the purchase of the new vehicles for escort service, said sources.
