Gurugram deploys drones on NH-48, Mumbai E-ways to curb traffic violations

Police issued 1,858 challans for lane violations and 418 for speeding in a week, while daily enforcement jumped to 812 as the campaign expanded.

The district traffic police deployed drones on the Gurugram-Mumbai and Delhi-Gurugram (NH-48) expressways during weekend enforcement drives against lane violations and speeding, traffic officials said on Monday. The aerial surveillance forms part of a special campaign to improve lane discipline on high-speed corridors.

Officials said drone surveillance covered stretches along the Sohna elevated corridor, with periodic aerial enforcement set to continue as part of the campaign. Police said 1,858 fines for lane violations and 418 for speeding were issued between July 6 and July 12 using drones and automatic number plate registration (ANPR) cameras. Overall, 3,094 challans for lane violations, including those issued through aerial surveillance, ANPR cameras and manual enforcement, were issued during the week, with lane indiscipline remaining among the city’s top traffic violations, they added.

Traffic police data showed the daily average of challans for lane violations rose to 812 during the first week of July. The daily average increased from 73 in April to 79 in May and 279 in June after the campaign was launched on major arterial roads and expressways. Lane violation challans increased from 2,196 in April, attracting ₹18.25 lakh in penalties, to 8,364 in June, amounting to ₹94.06 lakh. Manual and camera enforcement recorded 5,684 violations between June 30 and July 5.

“Mobile patrolling riders are constantly monitoring highways at Delhi-Gurugram (NH48), Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) and Dwarka Expressway corridors. While riders make loudspeaker announcements, violators are stopped at nearby traffic booths if they fail to rectify on time,” a traffic police spokesperson said, adding that sensitisation drives are underway with transport associations to ensure heavy vehicles and trucks use the left lane.

In June, deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) Prateek Gehlot met 25 transport associations before launching the campaign. The District Road Safety Committee identified five fatal crash hotspots linked to poor lane discipline. Around 32 people have died in such crashes across Gurugram since 2023. Safety audits at Panchgaon, SPR Cloverleaf, Ghamroj and Rampura Chowk are expected this month.

Drone-based enforcement is not new in Gurugram. Traffic police first deployed drones on the Delhi-Gurugram (NH-48) expressway in December 2023 and have periodically expanded aerial surveillance to major highways. Similar enforcement drives were carried out on NH-48 and other expressway corridors between September and October 2025, when poor visibility during the winter season coincided with a rise in lane violation-related accidents.