Pakistan to deploy drones to supervise highways

ISLAMABAD: In a first of its kind initiative, Pakistan will deploy drones for the supervision of the country’s highways and motorways network, the media reports on Sunday.

Citing sources in the National Highways and Motorways Police, The Geo News report said that the system will be in place in a couple of weeks.

According to the sources, the system would provide a record of round-the-clock movement on roads and it would not only help in controlling and managing the traffic volume across the motorways and highways for its smooth and safe flow, but also provide for effective and timely interception of crimes.

The information gathered by the drones could be used in nabbing criminals.

The use of drone’s technology would be displayed towards the end of this month at few points on the motorways, the Geo News report further quoted the sources as saying.

The project was discussed at the National Highways and Motorways Police ( NHMP) headquarters on February 12 under its Inspector General Syed Kaleem Imam through a virtual conference atended by officers of the force from across the country.

The Public Private Partnership (PPPS) in the road sector are an established mode of service delivery worldwide.

Pakistan also has been successful in atracting significant private sector participation in building and operating road infrastructure on PPP basis.

Public Private Partnership Authority (P3A) has the mandate to facilitate federal Implementing Agencies (IA) in developing, structuring and procuring their infrastructure projects on PPP basis, and under the P3A ( Amendment) Ordinance 2020, the Board of P3A is empowered to approve such ‘Qualified’ PPP projects which can demonstrate value for money to the public sector while retaining bankable financial structure for the private sector.

P3A is collaborating with and facilitating NHA in the process of developing of the transaction for seeking participation of qualified private sector parties to construct and operate 70 km long 4-lane Sialkot Kharian highway on PPP basis.