Sunday, Apr 24, 2016

Dubai: A 10-seater driverless vehicle will be on trial for the three-day Mena Congress of International Union of Public Transport (UITP) that begins on Monday, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced.

This will be the first time an autonomous vehicle will be on a trial run in Dubai on a pre-programmed route.

A joint project by Easy Mile and Omnix, the vehicle is designed to travel short distances on pre-programmed routes and under different environments. The vehicle travels on virtual routes, which can easily be reset to accommodate sudden changes as required. Equipped with all safety requisites and controls specifying its planned route, the vehicle is capable of handling any obstacles and avoiding collisions.

The vehicle’s sensor system as well as the intelligent system enables it to detect other moving and static objects as well as helping it react to the changing environment.

The trial run is a major step in realising Dubai’s goal of becoming the smartest city in the world.

“The trial run of the autonomous vehicle is done in implementation of the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

The second biennial UITP Mena Congress and Exhibition will see the participation of 600 delegates from 29 countries, including 10 transport ministers. A line-up of 102 transport and mobility experts from 39 countries will speak during the three days of seminars, panel discussions and lectures.

The exhibition, which spans an area of 6,480 square metres, will have the presence of 85 international firms from 16 countries displaying the latest developments in the transport industry. More than 3,000 people are expected to visit the exhibition.

Organised by RTA under the theme of Urban Mobility: Think Big, Act Smart, the event will kickstart with a keynote address by Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

Al Tayer and Masaki Ogata, president of the UITP and vice-chairman of East Japan Railway Company, will also speak during the opening session of the congress to be held at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The congress will debate issues related to the status of public transport in developing cities, management and finance of public transport, the use of energy, school transport, and the importance of innovation and creativity in delivering public transport services.

Staff Report

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