Dubai is to start a driverless taxi service by 2023, it was announced on Sunday.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said trials of the service were expected to start by the end of the year before an official launch in 2023.
The RTA is working with American company Cruise to offer the service in limited numbers by next year and expand "gradually to reach 4,000 vehicles by 2030".
“Human errors are responsible for more than 90 per cent of accidents,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the RTA. “Autonomous vehicles are environmentally-friendly electric vehicles and can serve considerable numbers of customers, particularly senior citizens, residents and people of determination."
Details about routes and firm dates for the launch of driverless taxis were not released but Cruise officials have visited Dubai to assess which locations are most suitable for the service. It was also not revealed how much the service will cost. Mr Al Tayer said a “limited number” of the vehicles will be used next year.
Cruise is backed by General Motors and this month opened a limited driverless taxi service to the public in San Francisco, but there are many caveats. It only operates at night and in certain areas, for example, and the service remains free for now.
Abu Dhabi also recently trialled a driverless service on Yas Island. Future operations include increasing passenger operations in different areas around Abu Dhabi. The fleet is composed entirely of electric and hybrid cars.
Self-driving cars — in pictures
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A self-driving car operated by California start-up Zoox. The company began to test its technology on public roads in Las Vegas in 2019. Reuters -
W Motors chairman and chief executive Ralph Debbas in the company's self-driving prototype. The company was founded in 2012 but became famous after one of its vehicles, the Lykan HyperSport, was featured in the 2015 film 'Furious 7'. Victor Besa / The National -
The W Motors self-driving vehicle prototype, on display at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi in 2019. Victor Besa / The National. -
Cruise, the self-driving vehicle company backed by General Motors and Honda, will launch its first international robotaxi service outside the US in Dubai in 2023. Cruise -
A driverless Cruise vehicle at the Detroit Motor Show. The company is stationing five self-driving cars in San Francisco as it looks to develop a robot taxi service. AP -
The 10-seater smart driverless car tested by the Roads and Transport Authority in Business Bay, Dubai. Courtesy RTA. -
Ajman's first self-driving bus went on goes on its first official drive in November 2021, with Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, director of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department and UAE's Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, onboard. -
A Zoox robot taxi. The vehicle is loaded with sensors, has no steering wheel and is capable of transporting four people at up to 120 kilometres per hour. Photo: Zoox -
A self-driving car operated by Pittsburgh start-up Argo AI in New York. The company is working with Lyft and Ford to commercialise driverless ride-hailing services at scale. AFP -
Volvo's self-driving 360c concept car, which was first announced in 2018 and can function as a mobile office or transform into a sleeping area. Volvo says the 360c will create demand for inter-city taxi passengers travelling as far as 300km. Photo: Volvo
