Hanoi Police Department is investigating why police patrol bicycles are being left unused after their piloting in the city since August 2015.

Colonel Nguyen Xuan Dinh, Head of the department’s public order police division, said that investigation had been launched before local media reported about the problem.

According to local media, residents in Hanoi have seen fewer police officers patrolling.

Police in Hanoi on patrol bicycles (photo by nld)

At police stations at some wards of Nam Tu Liem, Ha Dong and Long Bien, it is easy to see these bicycles are being left idle with dust. At the police station of Nam Tu Liem District’s Trung Van Ward, the bicycles are kept in a corner of the garage with flat tyres and covered with thin layers of dust.

The same situation is found at Dai Mo Ward when the bicycles have become rusty as they have not been used for months.

Speaking to reporters, Colonel Dinh said that this is the problem of several suburban districts, but claimed police at inner-city districts still use the bicycles frequently.

“By this weekend, we’ll have answers for the public following the inspection”, Dinh noted.

By the end of 2015, Hanoi Police Department provided more than 1,000 patrol bicycles for 12 districts taking part in the pilot programme. The bicycles were supposed to make it easier for police to patrol small and narrow lanes in the city and bolster public perceptions of police.

Each bike weighs 17.7 kilos and is armed with flashlights and electric batons, among other pieces of equipment.

Police in some other localities, including Can Tho, Dong Thap, Thanh Hoa and Danang, already use bicycles.