Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has rolled out an AI-powered decision support system that now oversees more than 1,100 buses across the city, cutting deployment decisions that once took up to an hour down to under a minute.
The new system, developed by RTA's Public Transport Agency through its Bus Operations Control Centre in partnership with the Corporate Technology Support Services Sector's Artificial Intelligence Centre, supports 26 distinct operational scenarios. It is designed to give RTA greater flexibility in managing its bus fleet while improving how the network responds to changes across other transport modes, including Dubai Metro and Dubai Tram.
Marwan Al Zarooni, Director of Buses at RTA's Public Transport Agency, said the system relies on advanced technologies that dramatically shorten the time needed for decision-making and bus deployment, from between 30 and 60 minutes to less than a minute. He said this has sharpened response speed and improved how operational resources are managed across the network.
Al Zarooni added that the system was built using RTA's enterprise Dataiku platform, allowing real-time decision-making capabilities that support smoother operational management. He described the initiative as a reflection of RTA's broader push to strengthen its role in the emirate's smart mobility ecosystem.
The system draws on real-time data, machine learning and optimisation algorithms to identify and dispatch the most suitable buses instantly, based on current operational needs, while keeping network efficiency intact and limiting disruption to service levels.
RTA said the launch reflects its ongoing commitment to adopting advanced technology to make Dubai's public transport system more efficient, flexible and sustainable, in line with the emirate's broader ambitions to become a leading smart city.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
