Driverless Dubai
If you live in Dubai, you may have seen some changes in the automobile industry already. Now, you have something to look forward to. According to His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, 25 percent of all the transportation trips in the Emirate no longer need human drivers by 2030.
These transportation trips will have a smart self-driving method. This is part of the city’s plan to generate economic revenues and savings that may reach up to Dh22 billion each year.
Sheikh Mohammed added, ”Dubai is leading cities of the world and making a qualitative paradigm shift to harness artificial intelligence in the service of the humanity and set a world unparalleled model for future cities, and is evolving into a global laboratory for technology and R&D. Today, we lay down a clear strategy with specific goals for smart transportation to form one of the key drivers for achieving sustainable economy in the UAE.”
As soon as this is implemented, this will help the city save around Dh1.5 billion by reducing environmental pollution and another Dh18 billion by improving the efficiency of the transport sector by 20 percent.
In line with this strategy, the Roads and Transport Authority RTA already signed an agreement with Tesla Inc. to purchase around 200 hybrid electric vehicles such as Model S sedans and Model X SUVs. These vehicles will be part of the limousine fleet of the Dubai Taxi Corporation, DTC.
The Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, Mattar Al Tayer, said, “This agreement is in sync with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, to transform the city into the world’s smartest city, and also in line with the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative.
It is also part of the Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy, aimed to transform 25 percent of the total commutes in Dubai into autonomous commutes by 2030. The agreement further reflects the RTA’s efforts towards providing driverless transportation solutions by undertaking technical tests of autonomous transit systems.”
Al Tayer explained that Tesla was chosen because of its pioneering endeavors in manufacturing electric vehicles. Once this strategy is implemented, Dubai is one step closer to becoming the smartest city in the world.
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