Dubai's sky pod cable car network moves a step closer after deal is agreed

The futuristic transport project is being propelled by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, review prototypes of sky pod technology. Courtesy: Wam    

A high-speed cable car network for Dubai has moved a step closer to reality after the city’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced an agreement to develop the futuristic project.

A video released on Twitter on Wednesday confirmed the RTA had struck a deal with Beem Car, a company specialising in urban transport, to create “sky pods”.

The footage gave viewers a glimpse of how the future of transport in the city could look with cable cars transporting commuters hundreds of feet in the sky.

The video showed the cable cars travelling from stations adjacent to Dubai’s existing metro set-up, in the footage pods were shown travelling along the Sheikh Zayed Road.

The sky pods network will span 15km with 21 stations providing the capacity to transport 8,400 passengers in one direction per hour.

The hi-tech mode of transport has been in the pipeline in the emirate for some time.

Last February, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed reviewed prototypes on show at the World Government Summit.