The M1 Motorway at Mooney Mooney will be one of the first two locations to have new drone-in-a-box technology installed to help respond to emergencies and traffic snarls.
The NSW Government is working to get an eye in the sky faster in response to problems on key road corridors in the Greater Sydney area, all controlled remotely with the push of a button from a central control room.
In an Australian first, Transport for NSW will be able to fly drones alongside and across highways for remotely piloted scheduled flights, without spotters, enabling them to rapidly respond to incidents near traffic hotspots.
The first drone-in-a-box units will be installed along the M1 at Mooney Mooney and the Hume Highway at Narellan.
The initiative falls under the Drones for Roads Program, announced by the Government in 2024.
From the Transport Management Centre (TMC) nerve centre, accredited pilots will deploy and supervise drones housed more than 50km away, slashing the time it takes to get eyes on an incident.
In a first of its kind approval by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, teams will be able to carry out beyond visual line-of-sight operations beside traffic travelling at highway speeds of more than 100km/h.
Every flight is fully supervised by an accredited TMC pilot, and the drones are equipped with extra fail-safe measures, approved fight areas, and onboard diagnostics.
The TMC has reported a significant reduction in disruption recovery times when a drone has been deployed to help get people moving faster after a traffic disruption on NSW roads.
In the past year drones have responded to about 150 incidents, more than 120 where there have been full lane closures.
Transport for NSW currently has a fleet of about 80 drones with five pilots based out of the TMC, and 100 accredited pilots across NSW.
Drone live streams provide critical real-time situational awareness to Transport teams, helping push timely information to drivers through variable message signs and apps, such as Live Traffic.
In the recent Budget, the Government announced $2.8B over the next four years to deliver road safety initiatives.
These include: expanding road safety infrastructure statewide; trialing a demerit point return program to reward safe driving; publishing more safety ratings through the bicycle helmet star rating system; doubling mobile speed camera enforcement locations with 2,700 new sites; using mobile phone detection cameras to also catch seatbelt offences; closing a loophole so foreign license holders must switch to a NSW licence within six months; tightening requirements for international drivers to convert to a NSW licence; rolling out a trial of average speed cameras for light vehicles; and signing the National Road Safety Data Agreement with the Commonwealth to improve data sharing and safety outcomes.
Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said Drone-in-a-box was a smarter, safer way to bust congestion on some of the state’s busiest roads after crashes or other incidents.
“This program … will cut response times, helping keep our roads and highways moving,” she said.
“Drones are already helping us guide emergency responders through traffic to reach those who need help, set up detours, and get an overview of the situation streamed directly to those who need that information, the drone-in-a-box makes the response quicker.
“Each drone-in-a-box will be able to cover a distance 8km from its home – so 16km of road.
“They can charge in just over half an hour, so it’s a very quick turnaround until they’re ready for their next mission.”
Transport for NSW Executive Director of Operations Management, Craig Moran, said they will enable quicker clearing of hazards and facilitate a return to normal operation much faster.
