Lahore Traffic Police has launched an artificial intelligence based drone traffic monitoring system aimed at improving traffic management and providing safer travel facilities for citizens across the city. Under the new system, advanced drone technology will be used to monitor traffic flow, congestion, and road related issues in real time, giving authorities a more immediate view of conditions across Lahore’s busiest roads.
Traffic officials said the initiative is designed to help authorities identify traffic problems more efficiently and take timely measures to improve the movement of vehicles across the city. The use of aerial monitoring is expected to give traffic wardens a clearer picture of congestion hotspots as they develop, allowing for quicker intervention during peak hours, accidents, or unexpected road closures rather than relying solely on ground level observation.
The launch builds on an initiative first announced by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority in August last year, when Lahore Police began deploying an initial fleet of ten drones equipped with cameras to monitor traffic hotspots along some of the city’s most congested roads, including Mall Road, Jail Road, Canal Road, and Ferozepur Road. At the time, officials said live video feeds from the drones would be linked directly to traffic wardens’ handsets, allowing them to respond immediately and reach congestion points before jams could worsen. The programme was framed as part of a broader plan by the provincial government to modernise traffic policing using AI powered monitoring tools, drawing on infrared and ultrasonic technology to track vehicle movement and identify congestion patterns as they emerge.
The expansion of drone based monitoring has continued in phases since then, with the Punjab government separately approving the formation of a larger provincial drone squad earlier this year, involving the procurement of more than 150 advanced night vision drones for deployment across Lahore and other districts. That broader programme, operating under the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, was designed to support crime monitoring, encroachment detection, and traffic management collectively, integrating drone footage with the province’s existing live monitoring infrastructure. Officials have described Lahore as one of the first cities in South Asia to adopt this scale of drone based traffic technology, with the potential for the system to be extended to other major Pakistani cities depending on how effectively it performs.
Traffic officials reiterated that the use of modern technology is expected to enhance monitoring capabilities and support better overall traffic management on Lahore’s roads, as the city continues grappling with persistent congestion linked to rapid urbanisation and rising vehicle ownership. While specific details on the number of drones currently deployed under this latest phase were not disclosed, the launch represents a continuation of Lahore’s broader push to integrate aerial surveillance and real time data into its traffic management systems, building on more than a year of phased rollout under the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s oversight.
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