Gurugram police deploy drones to nab lane driving violators

The Gurugram traffic police in India have used drones to identify and fine drivers who violate lane driving rules on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway. In the first deployment, 412 heavy vehicles were penalised, with fines totalling over ₹3 lakh ($4,300). The police launched the special drive to curb accidents and are using drone surveillance as an easier and faster method of monitoring lane driving on highways. The initiative has led to a drop in accidents on the expressway.

In a first, the Gurugram traffic police on Friday deployed drones to spot violators of lane driving norms on the Delhi-Gurugram expressway, penalising 412 heavy vehicles and imposing fines of more than ₹3 lakh.

Gurugram traffic police with their drone on National Highway-48 near Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The violators fined included 300 trucks, 100 private buses, and 12 school buses.

The police said they launched a special drive between the now-defunct Sirhaul toll plaza and Kherki Daula toll plaza on in a bid to curb accidents. Lane driving is currently enforced only on the expressway, where commercial vehicles are not allowed on the first two lanes on the right so that fast moving vehicles can move without being hindered.

Currently, only one drone is being used for the exercise — a traffic police team stands on the side of the road while the drone is operational, and based on the footage received, the police team then stops the offending vehicle.

The drone surveillance is being overseen by deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Virender Vij and assistant commissioners of police (traffic).

According to traffic police data, 402 people were killed in 945 road accidents between January 1 and December 16 in the city this year. At least 800 people were injured. As part of its efforts,the traffic police has also written to all road construction agencies, including National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), directing them to introduce lane markings on the road. At present, there are no lane markings on many roads and highways.

According to DCP Vij, at least 50 accidents were reported on the Sirhaul-Kherki Daula stretch alone in the last three months because vehicles changed lanes while speeding. “We conducting a challan campaign in an effort to prevent accidents... We are taking strict action against drivers who violate the rules on land driving,” he said.

At least 7,236 challans or fines have been issued this month till Saturday, adding up to fines of over ₹58 lakh, he said. This included 5,797 trucks, 518 passenger buses and 211 educational institution buses, he added.

An average 500 commercial vehicles, mostly trucks, have been fined each day for violation of the norms on this particular stretch since the campaign started. These amount to nearly ₹3.5 lakh, said officers.

While penalties for violating lane driving rules were in place earlier, traffic police have begun strict enforcement of the rules since November 20 this year, police said.

“We have deployed 10 teams to enforce lane driving round the clock. Earlier it was only done during the day. Our teams have been deployed on both sides of the expressway from Kherki Daula toll plaza to Sirhaul border even at night to enforce lane driving,” he said.

According to Vij, this drive has led to a sharp drop in accidents — earlier, this stretch would report at least five accidents a week, but this has since dropped to only two per week.