Drones to feed real-time traffic congested spots to commuters

A fleet of government-controlled drones will patrol NSW roads, monitoring traffic and giving frustrated drivers faster routes around bottlenecks, in a $15 million election pledge by the state government.

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A fleet of government-controlled drones will patrol NSW roads, monitoring traffic and giving frustrated drivers faster routes around bottlenecks.

Footage from the Australian-first program — a $15 million election pledge by the state government — will be relayed directly to the Traffic Management Centre and help predict congestion hot spots up to 30 minutes in advance.

About 100 drones, flown by pilots trained by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), will be deployed in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

Traffic authorities will use the drone vision to feed real-time information to drivers on the Live Traffic app, social media channels and electronic signs.

Drones will fly over roads and feed live information to drivers to help them navigate around congested areas. Picture: Anna Rogers

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Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said the hi-tech aircraft will provide a “bird’s-eye view” of the impact congested roads were having across an area.

“While we might have a good view to the incident from CCTV footage, we don’t know what’s happening in other parts of the road network and how we may need to deploy resources or changes to traffic light configurations,” she said.

“It will give a better network perspective of what’s happening in a suburb rather than a road in a suburb.

“We want to be able to unblock that traffic where we can and also better manage incidents.”

Ms Pavey said the $15 million funding was worth the investment with congestion having a “devastating impact on the economy, business and communities”.

“The drones add to our arsenal of resources to ease the pressure on traffic congestion which will mean people will get home quicker, giving them more time to do what they want,” she said.

Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said the drones will give a better perspective of what is happening on the roads network.

It’s believed Premier Gladys Berejiklian will unveil more “congestion busting” policies ahead of the election. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

The drones will also hover above serious accidents and provide crucial information to emergency services and first responders.

Vision from the flying motorway squad will only be used by TMC staff with the government assuring drivers their privacy will be protected.

Drones are already making a difference in many areas across NSW with Surf Life Saving Australia using the technology to identify rips and swimmers needing rescuing.

Shark-spotting drones also help keep beaches safe while farmers are using them to fly over properties to check equipment and stock.

Drones have been making a difference from Sydney beaches to rural farms. Picture: Monique Harmer.

The state government has already announced farmers will receive a $500 rebate towards the cost of drones as an alternative to quad bikes which claimed 10 lives through accidents nationally last year.

With commute times and tolls a key election issue, Premier Gladys Berejiklian is expected to reveal more “congestion busting” policies this week.

On Saturday, the government continued its transport pitch to NSW voters, announcing 14,000 extra weekly bus services over the next four years in Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast and the Illawarra.

Labor is campaigning strongly on its M4 Cashback program, promising to refund the toll for motorists using the widened motorway.

Originally published as Drones to feed real-time traffic congested spots to commuters