Dubai Plans to Introduce Driverless Taxis by the end of 2023

Dubai is preparing to revolutionize public transportation by deploying 10 driverless taxis by the end of this year.

These taxis, which are being developed in collaboration with Cruise, a self-driving technology company, will be launched in the Jumeirah area of Dubai.

The RTA and Cruise have joined forces to run autonomous taxi services in the city, making Dubai the first non-US city to commercialize Cruise self-driving cars that are all-electric and emission-free. Dubai will exclusively have only Cruise taxis until 2030.

In a recent phone interview, Khaled Al Awadhi the director of Transportation Systems, Public Transport Agency at RTA, explained that the self-driving taxi can seat up to three passengers at the back, with no passengers allowed in the front.

According to Al Awadhi, the RTA plans to add more autonomous taxis in the same area next year until the gradual deployment of 4,000 driverless cabs across Dubai by 2030.

The prices for these taxis haven’t been set yet, but they’ll be about the same as the fancy limo taxis. Those usually cost around 30% more than regular taxis in Dubai.

The driverless vehicles will collect data through onboard lidars, radars, and cameras that capture data and images within a 360-degree field of vision.

The introduction of driverless taxis is anticipated to ease traffic congestion, reduce emissions, and minimize the number of accidents.

By bringing in these self-driving taxis it’s going to help make transportation better for the environment, safer for people, and more efficient overall. It’s going to be really exciting to see how this technology will reshape the urban infrastructure of the city.

You might also like: Soaring New Heights: The Dubai Balloon Launches on Palm Jumeirah