Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid takes a seat in Dubai's new Sky Pods

The mobility system was on show at the World Government Summit

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, reviews two models of the Sky Pods at the World Government Summit. 

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a Sky Pod travelling through the air in Dubai - at least it could be soon, after the proposed new transport system was unveiled.

The creation was given a royal inspection after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of UAE and Ruler of Dubai and Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed reviewed the prototypes on show at the World Government Summit.

The cable-car like pods are currently being tested by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in conjunction with creators Skyway Greentech.

The system moves high above the ground along a specially designed network of overpasses, with one model, the high-speed Unibus, carrying 24 passengers at speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour.

Another model on show, the Unibike, can be manually propelled along suspended rails at speeds of up to 150kph.

"It moves on steel wheels on a hanging railway. It combines the features of a high-performance electric vehicle and sports and recreational features," said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.

The sky pods occupy considerably less area than modes of transport of the same capacity, and use five times less power than electric vehicles.

Dubai is aiming to convert 25 per cent of total journeys in the city into autonomous journeys on various transit means by 2030.