Driverless taxis to be launched in Dubai today

The region's first driverless taxi will be piloted during the Gitex Technology Week that starts in Dubai today. The Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) autonomous taxis would help ferry Dubai Metro and tram passengers to their final destinations.

The vehicle, which will be tentatively run on dedicated routes at the Dubai Silicon Oasis, has "top safety and security standards", the RTA said. It is equipped with cameras and sensors that fully view traffic and road conditions, control the vehicle and avoid collisions.

"The autonomous taxi contributes to the integration of mass transport systems by facilitating the movement of public transport users to reach their final destinations (last mile)," said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.

The driverless taxi is in implementation of the Dubai smart self-driving mobility strategy that aims to transform 25 per cent of the emirate's total journeys into self-driving ones by 2030.

The authority will showcase other cutting-edge technology at Gitex, including robot cleaners for Dubai Metro stations, 3D-printed Metro spare parts and an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automated chat bot system.

The five-day technology week will see government and private entities compete with each other to showcase the latest innovations. Held under the theme 'Experience Future Urbanism', the week focuses on startups, AI and new-age technologies that benefit the public and drive the future of transportation and mobility, retail, healthcare and education.