Abu Dhabi: Dubai’s roads and transport authority (RTA) on Saturday announced that five per cent of Dubai Taxi’s fleet will be converted into self-driving cabs by 2023. Also, Dubai aims to make 56 per cent of its total taxi fleet environmentally friendly by 2023.
The RTA has signed a partnership agreement with General Motors-backed Cruise to operate driverless taxis and shared transportation services in Dubai.
Dubai will be the first city outside the United States to offer this service in partnership with General Motors. Few vehicles will be driverless taxis in two years.
In this regard, director-general, chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA, Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer told media reporter, we are determined to provide a unique experience in the taxi industry worldwide to facilitate the movement of citizens, residents and tourists.
According to the agreement, the RTA will complete all preparations for the launch of self-driving taxis in 2023 with a limited number of vehicles. By 2030, this number will increase to 4,000.
“We strive to provide transport services that are characterized by different options in terms of the level of comfort and care in modern taxis, whether it is a limousine service, airport taxi, ladies taxi, family taxi, etc. to meet the needs of customers through enhancement, elegant services and channels diversified service, especially smart platforms,” Gulf News quoted Al Tayer.
The Cruise deployment in Dubai will allow the company to operate a fleet of robotic taxis as early as 2023. It is part of Dubai’s plan to reduce pollution and save transport costs by using autonomous vehicles by 2030.
The city is expected to outline the strategy to achieve sustainable mobility during the upcoming Expo 2020 scheduled for October 2021.