Spain’s Pegasus Helicopters Vanish From The Skies – What It Means For Drivers

If you’ve ever driven connected Spain’s motorways, you’ll cognize nan name. Pegasus. The traffic helicopter that could spot you speeding, tailgating aliases drifting crossed lanes agelong earlier you saw it coming. For much than a decade, nan fleet kept drivers successful cheque from precocious above.

Not anymore. As of this month, those ‘eyes successful nan sky’ are stuck connected nan ground. And it’s not because of bad upwind aliases breakdowns. It’s because cipher wants nan occupation of keeping them flying.

A €51 cardinal statement cipher wants

Spain’s postulation authority, nan DGT, launched a nationalist tender this summer. The woody was worthy much than €51 million: support nan helicopters, support nan radars working, and supply trained pilots.

Sounds for illustration a golden mine. But erstwhile nan deadline came, not a azygous institution bid. The reason? Pegasus isn’t cheap. These helicopters are ageing, their radar systems return up to 10 seconds to corroborate a car’s speed, and repairs costs a fortune.

With nary takers, nan erstwhile statement expired connected September 1. Since then, nan 9 helicopters still successful work (there utilized to beryllium twelve) person been grounded.

What it intends for drivers

The DGT insists roadworthy information won’t suffer. Spain still has thousands of ground-based radars, camouflaged vans, drones, moreover AI-powered cameras to drawback rule-breakers.

But Pegasus was different. A chopper could travel a driver for kilometres, building grounds that was intolerable to contest. More than nan tickets, it was nan fearfulness factor. Knowing that 1 mightiness beryllium overhead made drivers deliberation twice. Without them, galore judge Spain has mislaid 1 of its astir effective deterrents.

“This isn’t conscionable astir technology,” a road safety master told section media. “It’s astir behaviour. People drove otherwise erstwhile they thought Pegasus was watching.”

What’s adjacent for Spain’s Pegasus helicopters

The Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, says nan grounding is only impermanent and that nan helicopters will beryllium backmost successful nan aerial “very soon”. But others are sceptical.

In July, nan ministry ordered caller helmets for nan Guardia Civil’s aerial unit, fuelling speculation that Guardia Civil pilots could return complete until a caller contractor is found. But that would beryllium a stopgap, not a solution.

Critics reason nan clip has travel to discontinue Pegasus and put successful modern tools. Drones are cheaper, harder to spot, and easier to deploy. Why walk millions keeping creaky helicopters successful nan aerial erstwhile smaller machines tin do nan occupation better?

For now, though, Spain’s skies are quieter. Drivers whitethorn consciousness little watched, moreover if nan ground-based systems are still there. The existent trial will beryllium whether mishap numbers alteration without nan helicopters successful play.

And if nan fearfulness is gone for good, nan DGT whitethorn find it very difficult to bring it back.

Stay tuned pinch Euro Weekly News for much news from Spain