The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has rolled out a pilot initiative that uses drones to clean traffic lights, as part of efforts to modernise its operational systems.

According to an official statement, the initiative aligns with the authority’s future-focused vision of improving efficiency, optimising resource use and enhancing road safety.

The move aims to eliminate the need for cranes and heavy machinery, reducing safety risks during maintenance.

Officials say the use of drones will also lower costs, save fuel and water, and help reduce environmental pollution.

The statement said that in the first phase, drones were tested on traffic signals along Morocco Street and other key junctions. 

During the trials, traffic was temporarily halted.

It says that drones can clean a section of a traffic signal in just three to four minutes, cutting cleaning time by 25 to 50%, while the initiative is also expected to reduce costs by about 15%.

The project cuts operational costs by limiting the use of heavy equipment, while supporting sustainability goals through lower fuel and water consumption and reduced emissions from conventional machinery, the RTA said in its statement published on its website.

Abdullah Ali Lootah, Director of the Roads and Facilities Maintenance Department at RTA, said, “The authority aims to adopt cutting-edge technologies to enhance maintenance work and ensure sustainable operational efficiency across Dubai’s road network.”

“The pilot phase involved comparing drone-based cleaning with traditional methods in terms of time, cost, quality of execution and compliance with safety requirements.”

Lootah added that the first phase included several trial runs at the intersection of Marrakech Street and Rabat Street, with limited traffic closures to ensure safety during the initial testing period. 

“Preliminary results showed a reduction in operational time of between 25% and 50%, with the drone cleaning one side of a traffic signal in just three to four minutes,” the official said.

He noted that operational costs were estimated to have fallen by up to 15% compared with traditional methods, a figure expected to rise to 25% in the future with the use of more advanced drone technologies.

Lootah confirmed that the pilot project would continue to ensure the effective use of drones in maintenance work. 

“The next phase will focus on refining cleaning methods to maximise safety and avoid disrupting traffic flow, helping improve operational quality and strengthen Dubai’s road infrastructure and transport network,” he said.

• Indian High Commission issued attacker’s passport in 2022.
• Passport lists Hyderabad, Telangana as place of origin.
• Indian efforts aimed at maligning Pakistan internationally.

An Indian passport of the attacker, Sajid Akram, involved in the Sydney’s Bondi Beach attack during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, which left at least 15 dead, has emerged, according to Filipino media.

Father and son duo, identified as Sajid Akram and Naveed, opened fire during the Jewish event on December 14, in an attack that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising antisemitism and violent extremism.

The 15 victims ranged from a rabbi who was a father of five, to a Holocaust survivor, to a 10-year-old girl named Matilda Britvan, according to interviews, officials and media reports. Two police officers remained in critical but stable condition in the hospital, New South Wales police said.

According to records obtained by the Philippines’ ABS-CBN News, Naveed had an Australian passport while his 50-year-old father, Sajid, entered the country with an Indian passport.

The Indian High Commission issued Sajid a 10-year passport on February 24, 2022.

The passport, which has now surfaced publicly, lists Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana as Sajid Akram’s place of origin and shows an expiry date of February 23, 2032.

Authorities were reportedly aware of the attacker’s Indian citizenship from the first day, yet the incident was allegedly portrayed otherwise, with claims attempting to link the attack to Pakistan, Geo News reported.

Further information revealed that Sajid’s son, Naveed Akram, also holds an Indian passport. Despite this, Indian officials allegedly concealed the facts, allowing local media time to circulate misleading reports that identified the attacker as a Pakistani national.

Following the attack, Indian media outlets were accused of running a disinformation campaign before it became clear the assailant was an Indian citizen.

The effort, according to sources, was aimed at maligning Pakistan internationally, a narrative that collapsed the following day when evidence of the attacker’s Indian nationality became public.

Last year, British newspaper The Guardian noted that Australia expelled two Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) operatives in 2020 over illegal activities, including profiling members of the Indian diaspora.

‘No evidence alleged Bondi gunmen received military training in Philippines’

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ National Security Adviser on Wednesday said there was no evidence indicating that the two suspects involved in the Bondi Beach attack received any form of military training while in the country.

In a statement, Eduardo Ano said that a mere visit to the country does not substantiate allegations of terrorist training, and the duration of their stay would not have permitted any meaningful or structured training.

Ano said the government was investigating the two men’s travel from November 1 to 28 and coordinating with Australian authorities to determine the purpose of the visit, dismissing media reports portraying the southern Philippines as a hotspot for violent extremism as “outdated” and “misleading”.

Immigration records show the pair landed in Manila and travelled to Davao City in Mindanao, a region long-plagued by militancy, before the attack that Australian police say appeared to have been inspired by Daesh.

Quoting the Bureau of Immigration, the Filipino media reported that the father-son duo arrived in the Philippines from Sydney, Australia, on November 1. “Both reported Davao as their final destination,” the BI said.

Based on BI records, the two left the country on November 28 on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination.

Philippines’ regional police conduct probe

Separately, the Davao Regional Police said it was investigating reports that the father-son duo visited the region.

Speaking to journalists, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 11, Maj Catherine Dela Rey, said the multi-agency investigation would try to determine “if ever they arrived in Davao, where did they stay, or the people they met… or if they only passed by Davao or indeed they did not arrive in Davao and stayed in another place.”

The police also assured the public that the Davao region remains peaceful despite being linked to an overseas terror incident. “Overall, the whole Davao region is very peaceful. And we have maintained this status all over the year,” she was quoted as saying.

— With additional input from Reuters

While New Delhi continues to make bold claims regarding the Pakistan-India war months after the May conflict, a politician from the neighbouring country has declared that his side completely lost the battle during the May conflict.

“Accept it or not, we were fully defeated in the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on May 7. On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated,” Indian News Agency (ANI) quoted former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan as saying in a recent statement.

The ex-CM further said that the Indian Air Force was completely grounded during the battle and not a single aircraft of their flew due to the fear of being shot down as a result of Pakistan’s robust aerial combat tactics.

“If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the air force was fully grounded,” Chavan said.

Pakistan, under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, had given a befitting response to India in May.

In a major defensive success against the rival country, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down seven Indian aircraft, including Rafales, and destroyed an S-400 defence system.

The four-day war between the two nuclear-armed nations was triggered by India’s unlawful missile strikes inside Pakistan, which resulted in the martyrdom of several civilians and security personnel.

Pakistan, in addition to downing multiple Indian fighter jets, then launched a retaliatory strike, targeting over 20 Indian military sites across multiple regions.

The hostilities ended on May 10 after the two countries agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Months after the conflict, a report submitted to the United States Congress acknowledged Pakistan’s military success over India.

The report, submitted by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, noted that Pakistan deployed advanced Chinese weaponry during the conflict to enhance its military edge over India.

The report mentioned the successful use of China’s modern weapons systems in active combat for the first time, including the HQ-9 air-defence system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles, and J-10C fighter aircraft.

CDF Munir, earlier this month, warned India of a more “severe response” if it resorts to any aggression against Pakistan in the future.

“India should not be in any delusion [as] Pakistan’s response [in case of any aggression] will be even more swift and intense,” he said.