Dubai’s Jumeirah first to have driverless taxis for public use by end of 2023

Dubai’s Jumeirah first to have driverless taxis for public use by end of 2023

Ten self-driving taxis will be deployed for public use in Jumeirah area by the end of this year, with fares comparable to limo taxis, a senior official at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has exclusively confirmed to Khaleej Times.

Khaled Al Awadhi, director of Transportation Systems, Public Transport Agency at RTA, said the RTA will add more autonomous taxis in the same area next year until the gradual deployment of 4,000 driverless cabs across Dubai by 2030.

“The fare is not yet finalised, but it will be comparable to what is currently charged by limo taxis, which are usually 30 per cent higher than regular taxis in Dubai. The self-driving taxi can sit up to three passengers at the back, with no passenger allowed in the front,” noted Al Awadhi in a phone interview on Wednesday night, following the announcement by the RTA that US-based self-driving technology company Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), has started digital mapping of the Jumeirah 1 area.

RTA and Cruise have earlier joined forces to run autonomous taxi services in the city, making Dubai the first non-US city to commercialise Cruise self-driving cars that are all-electric and emission-free. Dubai will exclusively have only Cruise taxis