Madrid City Council has approved trials operated by GesDron in Villaverde in the southern part of the capital.
Angel Nino, Madrid’s Council delegate in charge of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said, “We have already begun drone trials in and around the GesDron warehouse to collect food deliveries from restaurants and deliver them to homes.”
Yet, there are various issues to be addressed before this pilot project can launch to the public. While deliveries can be made to property rooftops or terraces, not everyone has access to these areas, so the service is limited to only those who do. Also, strict regulations governing the deployment of drones in built up areas is a major obstacle, but Nino says that if these initial trials are successful, then he hopes rules will be relaxed.
Drones are already being employed across Spain for monitoring beaches and busy roads and since Covid-19, Spain’s police forces have used such craft to check whether the public are adhering to social distancing and lockdown rules. Drones were even used to monitor visitors to cemeteries during All Saint’s Day last November 1st, to ensure the numbers did not exceed the permitted six allowed. Traditionally, Spanish families visit the graves of loved ones on this holiday date.
Source : Spain: Madrid to launch drone delivery trials – Urban Air Mobility News