Sky’s the limit for fines as Bhopal goes on drone patrol to catch parking violators

Bhopal: Before you park your vehicle on a busy Bhopal road, police may already be watching from the sky. In a first-of-its-kind move in the state capital, drone-mounted cameras have begun spotting and penalising motorists who leave vehicles in no-parking zones, especially on crowded stretches such as MP Nagar and VIP Road.The move is aimed at easing congestion and reducing road accidents. Monitoring has also started on major junctions and crowded stretches, including Bag Sewania and Misrod on Narmadapuram Road.Traffic police said nearly one-third of the city’s roads remain blocked by parked vehicles. Earlier, drones were used mainly to photograph accident sites, but they are now helping issue challans based on vehicle registration numbers.Additional commissioner Monika Shukla said drone surveillance had been tested for a month and formal challan action began on Monday. She said the police currently have two drones, one of which is also used for law-and-order duties during large gatherings.According to Shukla, illegal parking on VIP Road has become a major concern, while permanent roadside parking in MP Nagar, TT Nagar and the old city’s Chowk Bazar is badly affecting traffic flow. She said drones would help police monitor longer stretches, identify road engineering defects such as damaged divider railings and broken dividers, and take action more effectively than personnel posted at fixed junctions alone.Police commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the drones are also sending live video feeds to the control room, allowing real-time monitoring and immediate action. He said special attention is being given to areas where illegal parking and wrong-side driving are frequently reported, and drones will help quickly detect traffic jams and deploy personnel to clear them.Beyond traffic control, the drones will also be used to watch for criminal and anti-social activity in parks and public places, including drinking, substance abuse and suspicious behaviour. They will also be deployed during festivals, VIP movement and major public programmes for crowd management and security.GFX:HOW THE SYSTEM WORKSPolice spot vehicles parked in no-parking zonesLive video feed goes directly to the control roomTrained staff watch the feed in real timeChallans are issued using vehicle registration numbersLocalities in focusMP NagarVIP RoadNarmadapuram RoadBag SewaniaMisrodTT NagarChowk Bazar