Highway police to use drones to track violators on Mumbai-Pune E-way

With the help of the drones, officials plan to penalise errant drivers at toll plazas on the highway. File pic

Motorists driving at breakneck speed, cutting lanes and parking their vehicles at random places on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway won't be able to flout rules so easily in the new year.

For the first time, the highway police will use two drones to keep track of such errant drivers. The eye in the sky will take photographs of vehicles violating road safety rules and those at the wheel will face action once they reach the toll plazas.

The 95-km-long route is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the country. State road development body MSRDC, the highway police and NGO Save Life Foundation have come up with this initiative to reduce accidents and save lives on it.

Up until October this year, 124 accidents, including 54 serious ones, were reported on the Expressway. This mishaps left 58 people dead. There have also been 1.9 lakh cases of lane cutting and 1.2 lakh cases of overspeeding.

Officials attributed accidents on the Expressway to high speed, sudden lane cutting and unauthorised parking.

Officials said a vehicle with a 3-member team comprising the police and the NGO personnel will be on constant patrol on each side of the highway.

The drones will be operated from these vehicles. As soon as a motorists breaks rules, the team will send its registration number to the toll plaza where the driver will be fined.

Save Life officials said announcements in three languages will also be made with the help of the drones to alert motorists as illegally parked vehicles also cause several accidents. Piyush Tiwari of Save Life Foundation told mid-day: "Last year, we had conducted a survey and found that 40 per cent of the accidents are happening due to illegal parking on the highway, due to which we will be taking the help of drones."

Officials said they plan to add more drones at a later stage.

Additional Director General of Highway Police Dr Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay said, "Drivers who violate the rules on the expressway will be monitored through drones. They will be fined immediately."

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