Texel wants to use drones to check whether citizens comply with the rules. It should also be used for surveillance at major events. The municipality has a large outlying area and the municipality is already checking from the air with an airplane. With drones this should become easier and ultimately less expensive.
The municipality will train drone pilots who can fly the unmanned aircraft. Flying is not allowed everywhere on the island. And to be able to fly, you must also be certified as a pilot. “Every pilot must have knowledge and skills, also in the context of privacy,” said Mayor Michiel Uitdehaag.
Checking with a drone is new for the municipality. “I understand that people say, that’s quite a lot to fly somewhere with a drone,” continues Uitdehaag. “In enforcement it can appear as if we want to step up a gear. But the council has also asked for this. That is why we have also looked at how we can enforce extra. I think we can implement this in a responsible manner.”
The observations from the air are already being made with an airplane. The advantage of flying a drone is that it can be done closer to the ground. The checks from an airplane are much more expensive and more consultation is needed on what exactly needs to be checked. “Checking with a drone makes it a lot easier to get the evidence on the table in a number of situations.”
“In addition, we can deploy the drones faster than an aircraft. The drone is not going to replace the aerial photos from the aircraft. But it will detect violations that have occurred shortly before. A drone is in the air sooner than an aircraft that has to leave the airport. to take off.”
The mayor mentions as an example the checks on, for example, the number of tents when camping at the farmer. There may be no more than fifteen camping spots. “Making aerial photos from an airplane is more difficult, because there are not always tents. And with a drone this can be done a lot faster at several farms.”
Control at larger events
The drone is also used to monitor the movement of crowds. “One should not think about tourists who go from the beach to the village. It mainly concerns control at larger events. For example, in the evenings when people go back to the bicycle or car. Then it is good to keep an eye on You can’t see that on Google Earth, for example,” says Uitdehaag.
Texel has many so-called ‘no-fly’ zones. These are areas where it is not allowed to just fly a drone. “That is why we also train pilots with whom it is allowed to fly over these areas. This also applies to other governments.”