A drone is being deployed to help ease heavy congestion on Rama II Road, the Highway Police Division (HPD) says.
The drone assists police on the ground in getting a bird's eye view of the traffic situation, especially during peak hours in the morning and afternoon, said Pol Maj Gen Chat Sukkaewnarong, the HPD commander. Video clips of traffic movements from the drones are transmitted on a real-time basis to the police officers' mobile phones.
They prove useful in helping police manage and direct traffic in areas with heavy build-ups of vehicles. The clips enable the police to respond to traffic situations faster and more effectively, he said.
The drone is capable of taking the clips over a seven-kilometre radius of the road, which are then downloaded on the HPD Facebook for motorists to access.
In recent days, the clips from the drone pinpointed a severe traffic bottleneck between kilometre markers 18 and 19 in the outbound direction. The congestion had been caused by at least one lane of the road being closed for resurfacing for 40 days.
Motorists were using two remaining lanes and advised to take the adjacent frontage road instead.
According to the HPD, the drone is flown over the length of the section of the Rama II Road over the Samae Dam area of Bang Khunthian district of Bangkok and the connecting area of tambon Pan Tai Norasing in Muang district of Samut Sakhon.
Highways Department chief Anon Luangboriboon said Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob will inspect the progress in tackling traffic gridlock on Rama II Road tomorrow. The inspection comes after authorities were working on traffic alleviation efforts.
Mr Anon said traffic on the road is heavy as it is a long weekend. The department has put up road signs advising motorists to opt for alternative routes.
The department is also installing variable message signs with real-time updates on the traffic situation.