We reported a few months ago that the RTA would soon conduct trial sessions for its driverless smart vehicles after demoing the box-like machines at the Mena Transport Congress & Exhibition 2016. The RTA have just confirmed that together with Emaar, they will be testing the driverless pods from tomorrow onwards at Downtown Dubai, under the gaze of the Burj Khalifa.
تبدأ الهيئة بالتنسيق مع شركة إعمار غداً التشغيل التجريبي لأول مركبة ذكية ذاتية القيادة في بوليفارد محمد بن راشد. pic.twitter.com/XGnaHkfrIM
— RTA (@rta_dubai) August 31, 2016
The CEO of the Roads and Transport Authority, HE Mattar Al Tayer, has stated that the trial run of the vehicle represents the first stage of bringing the new and innovative technology to the streets of Dubai. Furthermore, the trial also lets the RTA test the compatibility of driverless transit in the emirate as well as educate the local populace on the ins and outs of autonomous car technology.
The testing of the driverless pods also falls under a larger scheme set down by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who envisions a smart driverless mobility platform to take hold by 2030. The platform aims at switching at least 25% of the trips on the roads of Dubai to driverless journeys via a multitude of different transportation methods.
“The ‘Driverless’ vehicle is produced by Easy Mile/Omnix Company to travel short distances over pre-programmed routes in multi-use environments. The vehicle travels on virtual routes, which can easily be reset to accommodate sudden changes as required. The vehicle is fitted with all safety requisites & controls specifying its planned route. The sensor system, as well as the intelligent system of the vehicle, enable coping with any obstacles encountered en route to avoid a collision.
“Emaar seeks to connect various Dubai Downtown landmarks, the most attractive tourist & entertainment destination for visitors worldwide through driverless vehicles as they involve added convenience & luxury to residents & visitors of illustrious tourist attractions such as Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and Souk Al Bahar as well as different hotels. We would also endeavour to use this clean and smart initiative in our giant future project Dubai Creek Harbour.”
-HE Mohammed Ali Al Abbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties
Source: Roads and Transport Authority
