Arooj Zulfiqar

The planned use of drone technology to monitor the movement of vehicles on motorways and highways will help authorities in Pakistan to control crimes and violations of traffic rules, WealthPK reports.

The relevant authorities have decided to introduce drone technology to monitor the movement of vehicles on the roads. They hope that the technology will prove a game changer to control violations of traffic rules and prevent crimes.

An official of the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) told WealthPK that drone technology would advance their system and improve the efficiency of motorway police. He added that the use of drones would also decrease their dependency on humans.

“The initiative is a part of a five-year vision that includes the drive to modernise the National Highways and Motorways Police,” he said. He added that it was the top priority of motorway police to provide the best services to motorists and commuters. He said that most of the road accidents resulting in fatalities occurred due to negligence or violation of traffic rules.

“It is our joint responsibility to abide by traffic laws and ensure the safety of both ourselves and other travellers. Unfortunately, we frequently violate laws,” said the official.

He said that motorway police intended to introduce drone technology to make travel on motorways safe and secure. He said that they would use the remote-controlled flying machine to monitor traffic conditions on motorways.

“The drone cameras are controlled through the latest software, which is operated by professionals. It will be a key tool in patrolling road safety and will be used to control traffic and maintain safe travel. Such work is usually carried out by fixed cameras and police personnel, but their viewing range is limited as compared to drones,” said the official.

He said that the main objective of introducing drone technology was to increase the monitoring capabilities of motorway police. He said that it would enable the officials to pinpoint traffic violations through surveillance up to four kilometres. The technology will also make it easy to identify the people in need of help on the carriageway.

“Another advantage of the technology is that it allows police to monitor traffic movements on toll plazas, highways and motorways more effectively,” said the official.

He said that the technology would also help them in managing the situation and investigation process in case of any mishap on motorways. “It will assist us in locating the vehicles or drivers that do not adhere to the standards of the motorway,” he added.

He said that the technology would help them to assess the condition of the vehicles in a shorter period of time. It will save the time of both passengers and transporters. It will also result in better care for the lives and safety of people. It will enable motorway police to reach drivers right away in case of an emergency.

“The motorways in Pakistan continue to suffer from a lack of technologically sound equipment, training and facilities essential to supervise the vast network of roads connecting various cities. However, it will take a lot of time to get fully advanced in the latest technology,” the official told WealthPK.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk