Self-Driving Taxi To Launch In A Few Months; Fares To Be 30% Higher

Yes, driverless taxis have become a thing in Dubai as well.

Dubai taxis are in high demand around the city and, as it becomes tourist season, flagging one down can take longer than usual.

It’s no secret that the city is working on introducing driverless vehicles and there’s not long to wait for them to start ferrying passengers about.

That’s because Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to launch five driverless taxis in Jumeirah 1 – and you can hop in one yourself when December hits.

Khaled Al Awadhi, director of transport systems at the RTA, says the cost of these taxis is yet to be decided – but hinted that it will be comparable to limo taxis (which are usually 30 percent higher than regular taxis).

As for the testing route, expect to see the vehicles on the 8km stretch between Etihad Museum and Dubai Water Canal.

Up until now, a fleet of driverless cars has been out and about collecting data through onboard lidars, radars and cameras that capture data and images within a 360-degree field of vision.

The plan is for 4,000 autonomous vehicles to be launched by 2030.