Dubai announces plans for trackless trams as figures show 3.5 million vehicles on emirate's roads

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed directs Roads and Transport Authority to begin work on autonomous electric transport system

Self-driving trams are to run on 'virtual tracks' at eight locations across the emirate. Photo: Government of Dubai Media Office

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Dubai on Sunday set out plans to introduce all-electric trackless and autonomous trams at eight locations across the emirate. The high-tech transport strategy was unveiled by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Dubai Tram this month.

He said he had instructed Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority to study the implementation of the scheme following a visit to the RTA's headquarters. "On the occasion of Dubai Tram’s 10th anniversary, we have directed RTA to study the implementation of the Trackless Tram project, an autonomous, eco-friendly electric transport system, at eight locations across the emirate," Sheikh Hamdan posted on X.

The self-driving trams will run on "virtual tracks", using cameras to follow painted lines on dedicated lanes, Dubai Media Office said. Each tram will have three carriages with a capacity of 300 passengers, a top speed of 70kph, and an operational speed of 25 to 60kph. A single charge allows the trams to travel up to 100km.

Action plan as roads get busier

The Dubai Crown Prince said he had reviewed the RTA's Dh16 billion Main Roads Development Plan 2024-2027, featuring 22 major projects, during the visit. It includes a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering traffic capacity and cutting travel time as new figures show Dubai's population boom is being reflected on its roads.

These include the development of Umm Suqeim and Al Qudra Roads to boost capacity from 8,400 to 12,600 vehicles per hour and a move to upgrade Latifa bint Hamdan Street to accommodate 16,000 more vehicles an hour. The RTA also plans to extend dedicated bus and taxi lanes in 2025 and 2026, adding six routes covering 13km to bring the length of such lanes to 20km.

Sheikh Hamdan was told the number of vehicles in Dubai during daytime hours has reached 3.5 million, with a 10 per cent increase in registered vehicles over the past two years. This compares to a global average of 2 to 4 per cent. Population growth is projected at 3.6 per cent annually until 2030.

Despite significant traffic volume growth, Dubai ranks high on global journey time rankings. According to the 2023 TomTom Global Traffic Index, Dubai achieved a journey time of 12 minutes and 50 seconds for a 10km trip within the central business district, compared to 16 minutes and 50 seconds in Singapore, 19 minutes in Montreal, 21 minutes in Sydney, 22 minutes in Berlin and 36 minutes in London.

Congestion-cutting vision

The trackless tram project is the latest step in the UAE's vision to take cars off the roads and promote the use of autonomous and greener forms of transport. A tram-like electric bus is already operating in Abu Dhabi. The fleet of Autonomous Rapid Transit vehicles connect Reem Mall with Rixos Marina Abu Dhabi in a 14-stop route.

The vehicles, which can carry up to 240 passengers, were initially launched on Yas Island in December 2022 as part of Abu Dhabi's Smart Mobility Project. The project, a collaboration between the DMT, the ITC and Bayanat, aims to introduce a smart mobility system for the emirate.

In June 2023, the UAE Cabinet approved the first preliminary national licence for self-driving cars, granting it to Chinese company WeRide, as part of efforts to transform the country's transport sector and move towards a future economy. Dubai is aiming for 25 per cent of its transportation to be fully autonomous by 2030.

Meanwhile, in June, Dubai announced a goal to more than double its number of Metro and tram stations by 2040, under a major public transport development drive. The expansion project forms part of a wider economic strategy unveiled during a meeting of the Executive Council of Dubai. Dubai currently has 55 Metro stations – 35 on the red line and 20 on the green line – and 11 tram stops.