At the technology show, GITEX Technology Week, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, or RTA, showed off its autonomous taxi service.
According to transportation officials, the driverless car service was launched at the show and will be run for the next three months in choice areas in the city.
Launching the test run of the first ‘Autonomous Taxi’ in #GITEX2018. For more details about our initiatives, visit our stand S2C1 at Sheikh Saeed Hall in the Dubai World Trade Centre. pic.twitter.com/GjNqmcFL2n
— RTA (@rta_dubai) October 13, 2018
The RTA said the cars can go up to a speed of about 20 mph and fit four passengers. In the front is a safety driver who can take over the car if its needed. The cars are depicted without anyone in the front seat for a truly driverless experience in promotional materials which is a hint at what the transportation agency could unveil later. The cars are modified Mercedes-Benz sedans with cameras, sensors, and LiDAR system built into the car.
The taxis come after Dubai tested self-driving passenger drones for an air-based taxi system. That service hasn’t been launched for the general public.
Technology ti take over