Say goodbye to sitting in Sheikh Zayed Road traffic… 

New and futuristic transport options are being developed across Dubai, from flying taxis to the Etihad Rail megaproject. But at Gitex Global 2024 this week Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled plans for another new way to get around town, that could see us saying goodbye to sitting in Sheikh Zayed Road traffic.

The Floc Duo Rail is a self-driving, futuristic-looking electric pod rail system, and could become a hassle-free way to travel around Dubai.

The sustainable transport system is based around a Duo Rail concept, described as an affordable, low carbon footprint transport solution that would help alleviate traffic congestion in Dubai.

Able to operate both suspended in the air and on the ground, the autonomous pods would move around on dual tracks within ‘urban clusters’, and could help passengers get either from A to B, or be used to take multiple passengers from certain points to other transport networks, such as the Dubai Metro.

The bubble-like Floc pods, which have space for up to 16 passengers per pod, could be operated individually or connected to each other, depending on the needs in each area. So, a chain of pods might operate in key areas of the city, like Dubai Marina or Downtown, then disperse out to the city’s residential areas.

According to Gulf News, Hassan Al Mutawa, Director of Rail Maintenance at RTA confirmed that the duo pods rail system is now in testing phase in Dubai.

Details on how much a ride would cost, or when it might launch, weren’t given, but Al Mutawa said to Gulf News that “Once it’s mature and safe to operate, we will operate it in Dubai.”

Image: RTA