Driver licences for drones on the horizon

There are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 drone users in Denmark

The traffic authority Traffikstyrelsen will next year unveil a new driver’s licence for drone operators in order to curb the increasing number of reports of illegal flying.

Over the last two years, Traffikstyrelsen has registered 27 cases involving people who have flown their drones illegally. Two of the cases involve the national broadcaster DR, one was made in connection with a motorcross event, while another cited Danish TV personality ‘Bubber’.

“The number of drones is increasing considerably and now they are flying in cities as well, legally and illegally,” Søren Kragh Pedersen, the head of communication for Traffikstyrelsen, said according to Metroxpress newspaper.

“We are seeing a new tendency for complaints about drone flying in which the rules aren’t being adhered to.”

READ MORE: Traffic authority green lights drones over Danish cities

Police concern
Aside from driver licence tests for drone operators – which will consist of about 15 hours of monitored flying – the authority is also considering drone number plates to keep tabs on their pilots, of which there are already an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 in Denmark.

The police have noted that pushers in Christiania use drones to monitor police movements, and the state police Rigspolitiet warned in a recent report that drones could be used for anything, such as stalking, smuggling and as weapons.




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