TTC to use drones to monitor crowds and enable ‘real-time responses’ to congestion during World Cup

According to the TTC drones will be used to monitor crowds and enable response times on game days.

The Toronto Transit Commission is introducing new safety measures for the World Cup, including a bike-based response unit and the use of drone technology.

On Friday morning, officials announced two new safety initiatives, a bike-based Special Constables Core Response Unit and a plan to deploy drones to monitor crowds on game days and surveil subway stations.

On game days, drones will be deployed from the Fleet Street Transit Hub, located near Fort York Boulevard and Lake Shore Boulevard West. The drones will be used to provide TTC Transit Control with a “live view of crowd conditions” and “enable real-time responses to congestion,” the TTC said in a statement.

The Special Constables Unit will be deployed on bikes at high-traffic stations to support crowd management and provide quick response times.

When games are not being played in Toronto, drones will be deployed overnight on weekends at Kipling, Greenwood and Davisville subway yards to combat security issues, including graffiti and property damage, the TTC said.

“These new programs strengthen the TTC’s existing safety measures, and we will continue exploring additional ways to ensure customers feel comfortable and confident on the system,” TTC Chair Jamaal Myers said in a press release.

“The world is coming to Toronto, and we are making sure that we are ready to welcome them.”

The measures coincide with additional safety initiatives during the tournament, including increased staffing at TTC stations by provincial offences officers, service agents, TTC ambassadors and special constables.