Dubai’s Roads and Transport (RTA) authority revealed the news…

It’s been a long time coming, but Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed that driverless taxis will be trialled in the city by the end of 2022. The actual service is expected to be launched in 2023, so the trials and digital maps need to be in place by late 2022.

The RTA is in partnership with American business Cruise Company to provide the vehicles. At first in 2023, there will be limited numbers of them, but by 2030, the number of deployed vehicles is expected to reach 4,000, the RTA revealed in a statement on Sunday, February 13.

Dubai will be the first city outside the USA to operate such vehicles. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA said, “This initiative enhances Dubai’s pioneering role in self-driving transport. It is an important step towards realising Dubai Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy aimed to transform 25 per cent of total mobility journeys in Dubai into journeys on various self-driving transport modes by 2030.”

Al Tayer also said, “Human errors are responsible for more than 90 per cent of accidents. Autonomous vehicles are environmentally-friendly electric vehicles and can serve considerable numbers of customers, particularly senior citizens, residents and people of determination.”

The partnership agreement was signed per directives issued by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced a goal that “by 2030, 25 per cent of all transportation trips in Dubai will be smart and driverless.”

This plan includes the tram, metro, buses, marine transport, shuttle and taxis.

It has not yet been revealed where the routes for the driverless taxis will be, nor the exact dates of the trials.

Images: Cruise Company Media resources