Rent a vehicle by the hour model launched in Dubai

Dubai - The hourly car rental system offers cars on rent for up to a maximum of six hours via apps, online channels or telephone.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will unveil its smart rental cars model at the Gitex 2016.
The hourly car rental system offers cars on rent for up to a maximum of six hours via apps, online channels or telephone.
"The smart rental system supports the RTA's efforts in raising the ridership of mass transit means, and boosting the integration of transportation systems. It facilitates the mobility of public transport commuters, especially Metro riders, in reaching their final destinations," said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.
The smart rental system was recently approved by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
The system lets residents rent a car by the hour.
It will be collected by the resident from a public place and has to be returned to a specific location near a Metro station. It's designed to help enhance the mobility of Metro users.
The smart rental system is just one among the many initiatives that the RTA will unveil during Gitex.
Smart parking
The RTA will soon start construction works of the smart parking project, which enables motorists to identify vacant parking slots on the Shaikh Zayed Road and Al Rigga area in phase 1.
The project will save the time and efforts of motorists in looking for vacant parking slots and reduce traffic congestion.
It enables the search of a specific area to know the number of vacant parking slots, and identify the distance between the location of the vehicle and the nearest vacant parking slot, Al Tayer said.
Raqeeb
The RTA is also showcasing a smart system for monitoring the condition of bus drivers while driving.
The system, called Raqeeb, is a smart device fitted in front of the bus driver to detect any signs of fatigue, exhaustion or illness the driver may undergo while behind the wheels.
The system transmits signs detected to the control centre of the RTA, where the case would be instantly dealt with. The system helps avoid accidents that could possibly undermine the safety of riders or have a direct impact on the operational efficiency of buses in terms of on-time arrivals.
Smart lighting
One other initiative is the smart lighting project that conforms to Dubai's smart city and green economy for sustainable development initiatives. A central system for remote wireless control of street lighting will reduce power consumption.
It also includes a surveillance cameras system, enabling direct and wireless transmission of images captured to the control station. A WiFi system is currently being experimented on the Dubai Canal Bridge on the Shaikh Zayed Road.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai