Unmanned taxis to hit Dubai streets next month
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that unmanned taxis will appear on the streets of the emirate from October 2023. In the first week of October, five vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence will start operating on the 8-kilometre stretch between the Etihad Museum and the Dubai Water Canal. The fare has not been announced at the moment, but it is expected to be 30% higher than the fare for a regular taxi.
Unmanned eco-friendly cars Chevrolet Bolt are equipped with a set of sensors, cameras and radars to determine the distance to objects and people on the streets. The taxis will be able to carry up to three passengers at a time. Initially, the taxis will only operate in the Jumeirah neighbourhood.
As planned, Cruise’s autonomous vehicles will not be serving passengers for the time being. Full commercial operation will begin in the second half of 2024. The full operation of driverless taxis will make Dubai the first city outside the US to use Cruise’s unmanned vehicles.
It is learnt that the RTA and Cruise have completed a digital map of the Jumeirah area, and have been testing Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles. The work has been underway since July 2023. Streets, pedestrian crossings and road signs were recorded over several months. No glitches were recorded during the process of creating the digital navigation map.
Next year, the RTA will add more autonomous taxis in the Jumeirah neighbourhood, and then by 2030, the plan is to gradually introduce 4,000 driverless cars across Dubai. The project is being carried out as part of the Smart Self-Driving Transport strategy, which aims to turn 25 per cent of journeys in the city into smart, driverless journeys.
According to the RTA, the launch of autonomous vehicles will have a positive impact on Dubai’s transport infrastructure and overall wellbeing. The introduction of unmanned vehicles will minimise the likelihood of traffic jams, reduce the number of accidents and cut down on harmful emissions.
Source: Khaleej Times
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