The Tamil Nadu government has spent Rs 1.36 crore which includes the buying of new Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles, modifying them and disinfect narrow lanes

Tamil Nadu scores high on the charts where COVID-19 cases are concerned. Following Maharashtra (80,229 cases), Tamil Nadu is the 2nd state on the list of most Covid-19 cases in India. TN sees a total of 28,694 confirmed cases out of which 12,697 are active and while 235 persons have died due to this deadly virus.

To help contain its spread, the Government of Tamil Nadu has given 25 new Royal Enfield motorcycles to the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) which have been fitted with equipment to spray disinfectant through the narrow streets and lanes of the state.

The Royal Enfield bikes come equipped with 9 liter tanks that store water which is mixed with compressed air foam solution. This is used to spray the areas and sanitize roads while on the go. There is also a public address system to give direction to the locals, address the crowds and the bikes are fitted with police strobe lights and sirens so as to give them priority on the roads.

These modified Royal Enfield motorcycles also receive a communication system so as to allow the riders to be in touch with their peers. It is their compact size and easy manoeuvrability that make these bikes ideally suited for the more congested areas of the state across around 45,000 locations which includes hospitals and market areas.

The motorcycle were flagged off by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and after the completion of anti-Covid work, these Royal Enfield bikes will then be utilized for fire-fighting operations in congested localities.

In related news, Royal Enfield has commenced production operations at its plants at Oragadam, Thiruvottiyur and Vallam Vadagal near Chennai, after remaining shut for over a month due to the COVID-19 lockdown announced by the Government of India. These operations are in complete compliance to social distancing norms and sanitization of workplaces. Dealerships have also opened depending on which zones they fall within. All corporate offices continue to remain closed and employees continue to work from home as of now.

Royal Enfield, which sells models such as the Bullet 350, Classic 350, Himalayan, Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650, in India also introduced the REGearUp campaign, a digital initiative to encourage riders to use headgear to cover their faces and protect themselves during these trying times. The company is also set to introduce headgear with Polygiene Stay Fresh Technology treatment that uses naturally occurring silver salt that arrests the growth of bacteria.