Soon Dubai may become one of the few places on Earth, where you can see driverless cars on the streets, but not only during expos. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has commissioned a study on the usefulness of the cutting-edge technology in relation to the upcoming World Expo 2020.
RTA is exploring the benefits of using the smart, electricity-powered vehicles, which save fuel consumption and contribute to reducing carbon emissions. A team from RTA has visited several European countries and consulted international manufacturers of smart vehicles, so they can decide on critical issues such as safety, standards and specifications, special infrastructure, as well as dedicated, detailed legislation. The delegation has reviewed several smart cars with different technologies and is planning real-life experiments in Dubai.
Driverless cars are the latest advancement in smart mobility systems and are definitely one of the most exciting technologies right now. You can operate them and place various commands remotely, but they can also move on the road without any connection with the control center. These vehicles have cameras and special software, which “tell” them where they are, whether there are other cars around, and so on. The cars can “see” the road condition, traffic signals, and even pedestrians, which make them autonomous and safe. They can also be programmed to take passengers from set destinations and transport them wherever they need to go. This eliminates the need for personal vehicles, which will definitely reduce not only road traffic, but also carbon emissions and pollution.
Of course, introducing driverless cars to the end consumer will probably take longer than we would wish. The problem, however, is that when they become available (and they will, according to experts) will people embrace this new technology? Will they replace their powerful, fuel-powered cars for electric vehicles, especially in Dubai, which is well-known for its love for luxury and sports cars? That remains to be seen, but very soon, we can expect to see driverless cars on the city’s streets. The tests will be under the supervision of the RTA and by 2020, smart, driverless cars will likely to hit the roads of Dubai.
