Kurnool police deploys drone on pilot basis to monitor traffic

Kurnool police have deployed drones to monitor and regulate traffic movement in the city, after they were earlier put to use to keep a tab on anti-social elements. The traffic police booked 30 cases in just 24 hours against various violations by using the footage from the drones .

Drones for traffic regulation has been started on a pilot basis under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Vikrant Patil. Kurnool Traffic Circle Inspector Mansuruddin told The Hindu that the traffic wing got one exclusive drone and the same was used from Raj Vihar circle to C-Camp on Tuesday (July 15). The drone covered nearly two kilometres and the visuals were clear, he added.

“We noticed violations such as triple-riding, mobile phone driving and wrong route driving and cases have been filed against 30 violators,” he said.

Mr. Mansurrudin said that the drone would be used over the main thoroughfares and also to monitor the flow of traffic at important junctions in the city. “We can easily know when there is traffic congestion in any area and immediately send our mobile teams to clear it,” the inspector said.

“Being the district headquarters and Hyderabad–Bengaluru national highway passing through the city, the vehicular movement is always high,” the official said and added that lack of proper parking places, encroachment of pavements and vendors setting up shops on the roads is adding to the problem.

The city traffic wing has a strength of 60 officers who work in two shifts. At least 80-90 personnel are required to man the traffic and ensure there are no snarls. Officials are positive that the usage of drones will ease the pressure on them and also address the lack of sufficient manpower.