Introduction Of Self-Driving
Buckle up, because you’ll soon see self-driving taxis on the streets of Dubai! Working with top autonomous driving companies, the RTA is making a giant leap into the future of transportation. Driverless taxis will officially take to the road in the emirate by 2026, ushering in a new era of smart mobility.
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A Game-Changing Partnership
Dubai’s RTA is partnering with Uber, WeRide, and China’s Baidu (via its autonomous mobility arm, Apollo Go) to make this project happen. The first step? The first testing will be this year with safety drivers before the full-scale rollout, which will be in 2026.
“These partnerships are another landmark in RTA’s Self-Driving Transport Strategy,” said Mattar Al Tayer, RTA’s Director-General and Chairman. “By 2030, we would like to see 25% of all trips in Dubai to be autonomous across various transport modes.”
Making Travel Safer and More Connected
Self-driving taxis are anticipated to improve connectivity and road safety throughout Dubai. Al Tayer pointed out that they will connect smoothly with public transport, thus enhancing first and last-mile transport — facilitating the commute between riders’ homes or works and metro stations and bus stops.
Another big benefit? Fewer traffic accidents. “Over 90% of road accidents result from human error,” Al Tayer said. “Autonomous vehicles will contribute to the safety of roads and provide mobility solutions for the elderly and people of determination.”
Testing and Global Expansion
WeRide and Baidu’s Apollo Go technology will be integrated into Uber’s platform in the first phase of tests. When reality in this way, in conjunction with driverless vehicles go fully, Dubai will sign up for the robotics cadre of pioneering cities.
Robin Li, Baidu’s CEO, called the partnership a significant step forward for the international expansion of Apollo Go. “This is our largest step beyond China so far,” he said. “We are dedicated to delivering safe and sustainable mobility solutions for the world.”
Apollo Go has already seen 150 million kilometers of autonomous driving and had recently surpassed 10 million driverless rides in cities across China. Passengers have been widely embraced by its advanced robotaxi, the RT6.
Uber and WeRide Keep Building the Movement
Uber can hardly contain its excitement over the project. “We are delighted to add to our platform autonomous cars, in partnership with the RTA of Dubai,” Noah Zych, Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility, said in a statement. “We’re partnering with leading autonomous vehicle developers to scale this technology globally.”
WeRide chief financial officer Jennifer Li joined in the excitement. “Dubai is an ideal location to broaden our vision of smarter transportation,” she said. “A combined technology with Uber’s platform will enable us to provide service to millions of passengers globally.”
The future of transportation in Dubai
With self-driving taxis expected to be on the roads in just a few years, Dubai is once again showing the world it’s leading the charge for innovation. This move helps reinforce Dubai’s status as a worldwide leader in innovative smart transport solutions, by decreasing collisions, improving public transport links, or creating the future of urban mobility.
