Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched trial operation of the Dubai Glydways automated transit system at Bluewaters, using AI-supported autonomous electric vehicles that run on dedicated guideways.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, took a five-minute ride to mark the start of the trial, which will run for four weeks. He was joined by Mark Seeger, Founder and Co-CEO of Glydways, and Blake Barber, Co-CEO and Chief Technology Officer. The trial is being delivered with Dubai Holding, which is providing the test environment, infrastructure and operational support.
It will assess vehicle performance, the readiness of the autonomous driving, sensing, communication and control systems, and safety and reliability. It will also measure user experience, journey times and ease of use, generating data to guide any future expansion.
Each vehicle carries four to six passengers at speeds of up to 50 km/h, with a range of up to 250 km on a single charge. Each is fitted with 20 high-resolution LiDAR sensors, along with radar and high-definition cameras. The system can carry more than 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions and offers round-the-clock, on-demand point-to-point travel. Capital costs are up to 90 percent lower and operating costs up to 70 percent lower than comparable transport modes.
The project focuses on first- and last-mile connections to the Metro. Planned studies include a 2.8 km route linking National Paints Metro Station with Bluewaters, as well as routes serving Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Festival City, Business Bay and Mohammed Bin Rashid City.
Al Tayer said the trial is an important step towards adopting future mobility systems and testing innovations in Dubai’s urban environment.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
