The traffic department in Lucknow has unveiled a “cool initiative” to help cops on duty beat the heat under the scorching sun.
AC helmets were introduced as part of a trial phase for the first time in Lucknow, and four of these were given to the traffic personnel on duty at Hazratganj’s Atal Chowk intersection on Monday.
These helmets have AC vents to channel the coolness to the head along with a hard plastic shield that works as goggles to protect the eyes from the sun’s glare. The helmet is connected to a large battery pack tied to the waist of a person. When the battery is drained, a red light on top will alert the person to put the helmet on charging.
“The AC installed in the helmet will reduce temperature by 10-15 degrees and this will provide relief to traffic cops from the scorching heat,” informed ADCP (traffic) Ajay Kumar who reached Hazratganj and gave these helmets to cops.
After a successful trial, about 500 such helmets will be procured from a Hyderabad-based company. A month-long trial will decide if the product can be introduced formally, said the ADCP. “The number will be decided by the higher authorities,” he added.
“The weight of the helmet is half of that of a normal helmet and our cops felt very comfortable,” added the ADCP.
“This is the second such initiative in UP, a similar trial was conducted by the Kanpur Police,” said DCP (traffic) Salmantaj Patil.
Recently, similar trials were conducted in Bhubaneswar, Vadodara and other cities.
There will be two types of helmets – with battery backups of two and eight hours, respectively. Reportedly, the first one will be provided to traffic personnel while the one with more backup will be provided to police personnel.
“Despite being comfortable for the user, the helmet will be checked for any health risk as one part of the body is cool and the rest is exposed to heat. We’ll examine if it has any negative effects,” said the ADCP.
