Today's Edition
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi Mobility is set to expand autonomous vehicle services to more areas of the city following the successful completion of 30,000 autonomous vehicle trips, covering a distance of over 430,000 kilometres.
The autonomous trips were conducted on Yas and Saadiyat Islands during the first and second phases.
Building on the success of the project, the scope of autonomous vehicle operations will be expanded to include access roads to and from Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi Mobility said in a statement.
This expansion is part of Abu Dhabi Mobility’s plan for the gradual rollout of services in new areas across the emirate.
Abu Dhabi Mobility is partnering with Space 42 and Uber to operate autonomous taxis in the city, with plans for a phased expansion across Abu Dhabi, the statement said.
Dr. Abdulla Al Ghafli, Acting Director-General of the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC), said: “This expansion marks a strategic step towards developing Abu Dhabi’s smart transport ecosystem. We continue to enhance the digital and regulatory infrastructure to ensure the seamless integration of autonomous vehicles into the existing transport network.”
ITC, also known as Abu Dhabi Mobility, is an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
Reacting to the development, Thomas Edelmann of RoadSafetyUAE said: “From a road safety perspective, the ultimate goal must be to achieve autonomous driving. More than 90% of all accidents happen due to human error, and autonomous driving eliminates that completely.”
Autonomous driving is the way forward and the future. “We are not there yet. It will take a long time for autonomous driving to be widely rolled out on our roads. Hopefully, at some point, it will happen completely, but we must start preparing for it today,” the founder of RoadSafetyUAE said.
Testing and gathering insights are essential to ensure the system functions flawlessly and safely.
“The UAE and its cities—Abu Dhabi and Dubai—aim to be at the forefront of the latest technological advancements. Autonomous driving is definitely part of that vision,” Edelmann said.
Adhering to the highest standards of safety and efficiency is the motto of the project.
“We are committed to adopting the latest technologies to ensure the reliable and secure operation of these vehicles, aligning with Abu Dhabi’s vision for a sustainable and advanced transport sector,” Ghafli said.
Abu Dhabi Mobility has a comprehensive plan in place to regulate the autonomous vehicle sector. “The policy includes developing specialised insurance models, enhancing digital infrastructure, and securing communication networks against cyber threats,” the top official of the ITC said. “We are also working on advancing legislative frameworks for regulating the operation of these vehicles.”
“Since their launch, no incidents have been recorded, reflecting the high level of safety of these autonomous vehicles,” the top ITC official said.
Abu Dhabi Mobility aims to achieve several key objectives by 2040, including increasing the percentage of trips using autonomous vehicles to 25% of total trips in Abu Dhabi, reducing carbon emissions by 15%, and decreasing road accidents by 18%.
Abu Dhabi Mobility is actively testing autonomous vehicles in collaboration with its partners. It seeks to increase public awareness of these services and encourage their adoption.
