Construction Middle East: Arabian Civil Engineers by GineersNow GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 014, Sau | Page 46

25 Percent of Trips
in Dubai Will Be
Driverless By 2030
25 percent of all the transportation trips in Dubai no longer need human drivers
by 2030. These transportation trips will have a smart self-driving method.
If you live in Dubai, you may have seen some changes in
the automobile industry already. Now, you have
something to look forward to. According to His Highness
Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of
Dubai, 25 percent of all the transportation trips in Dubai
no longer need human drivers by 2030. These
transportation trips will have a smart self-driving
method. This is part of the city’s plan to generate
economic revenues and savings that may reach up to
Dh22 billion each year.
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In line with this strategy, the Roads and Transport
Authority RTA already signed an agreement with Tesla
Inc. to purchase around 200 hybrid electric vehicles
such as Model S sedans and Model X SUVs. These
vehicles will be part of the limousine fleet of the Dubai
Taxi Corporation, DTC.
Sheikh Mohammed added, ”Dubai is leading cities of
the world and making a qualitative paradigm shift to
harness artificial intelligence in the service of the
humanity and set a world unparalleled model for future
cities, and is evolving into a global laboratory for
technology and R&D. Today, we lay down a clear
strategy with specific goals for smart transportation to
form one of the key drivers for achieving sustainable
economy in the UAE.” The Director-General and Chairman of the Board of
Executive Directors of RTA, Mattar Al Tayer, said, “This
agreement is in sync with the directives of His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of
Dubai, to transform Dubai into the world’s smartest city,
and also in line with the Green Economy for Sustainable
Development initiative. It is also part of the Dubai Smart
Autonomous Mobility Strategy, aimed to transform 25
percent of the total commutes in Dubai into autonomous
commutes by 2030. The agreement further reflects the
RTA’s efforts towards providing driverless transportation
solutions by undertaking technical tests of autonomous
transit systems.”
As soon as this is implemented, this will help the city
save around Dh1.5 billion by reducing environmental
pollution and another Dh18 billion by improving the
efficiency of the transport sector by 20 percent. Al Tayer explained that Tesla was chosen because of its
pioneering endeavors in manufacturing electric vehicles.
Once this strategy is implemented, Dubai is one step
closer to becoming the smartest city in the world.
Construction Leaders • April 2017