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Redefining the future of travel – News

Pabio December 4, 2024

The highly anticipated flying taxis will be available in Dubai from the last quarter of 2025.

On land, sea or air, the future of transportation in the UAE is not only about easing traffic problems, but also about redefining the sector itself with more efficient and futuristic technology.

Take for example air taxis, which are expected to be operational sooner than expected. The much-anticipated flying taxis will be operational in Dubai from the last quarter of 2025, and an aerial ride-hailing service – which combines conventional ride-sharing with flight services – will be introduced to ensure customers are served from their home or office to to their final destination. destination.

This was announced two months ago by Tyler Trerotola, general manager of California air taxi company Joby Aviation. He told Khaleej Times in September this year that they had brought forward the planned launch of the Joby electric air taxi from 2026 to late 2025.

He also confirmed that Joby is working on integrating first and last mile ride-hailing services to move customers from their point of origin and bring them to one of Dubai’s four vertiports and then from the vertiport to their last stop.

Flight safety

Regarding flight safety, Tretola said it has completed approximately 60,000 km of test flights; while Archer Aviation, another US-based airline, had already conducted more than 400 test flights of ‘Midnight’ in preparation for their launch next year. The company, which will operate the taxis, carried out 402 tests in the first eight months, exceeding its target of 400 tests four months ahead of the 2025 schedule.

Another exciting development is the recent announcement by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates, that Dubai has started construction of the first air taxi near Dubai International Airport (DXB). ).

This is part of Dubai’s vision to become the first city in the world to offer urban air transportation through an advanced air taxi takeoff and landing network located at DXB, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah.

With maximum speeds of 320 km/h, air taxis could reduce travel time between DXB and Palm Jumeirah from 30-45 minutes to 10 minutes, Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the Public Transport Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

“The good thing is that these planes have a good range,” he said. “This allows us to potentially do inter-emirate travel. So there are some exciting plans, but initially we will operate on Dubai roads,” he added.

The high-tech Etihad Rail passenger rail service will connect 11 cities and regions in the UAE, stretching from Al Sila to Fujairah, Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Sharjah, Al Dhaid, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. — Wow

United Arab Emirates and beyond

The task of connecting the entire country is the core mandate of Etihad Rail. Once completed, this 900km Etihad Rail railway will connect the seven emirates and 11 major cities, from Ghuweifat to Fujairah and beyond. The UAE is also the first Gulf country to announce the rail connection with its neighboring country.

In 2023, Etihad Rail began freight operations across all 900km of the network. The passenger network will use the same infrastructure as the freight train network.

The high-tech passenger rail service will connect 11 cities and regions in the UAE, stretching from Al Sila to Fujairah, including Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Sharjah, Al Dhaid, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The authorities have already announced two locations for passenger stations. The first will take place in Sakamkam in Fujairah and the second in Sharjah, a university city.

Passenger trains should travel at 200 km/h. This means the journey from Abu Dhabi to Dubai will only take 57 minutes, instead of the usual two hours. Etihad Rail also said the journey from the capital to Al Ruwais would take just 70 minutes, although Al Ruwais is 240 km from Abu Dhabi. Journeys from Abu Dhabi to the eastern emirate of Fujairah will take 105 minutes. Traveling by train will provide passengers with a good view of the vast UAE desert, salt bodies and mountains. It is expected that once operational, the service will be able to accommodate approximately 36.5 million passengers per year.

Moving forward

The Dubai Metro, the cornerstone of the city’s public transport network, has been in operation for 15 years. Since 2009, it has served more than 2.4 billion travelers on 4.3 million journeys, operating at 53 stations with a fleet of 129 trains. It also maintained an on-time performance rate of 99.7 percent, exceeding international safety standards thanks to its exceptional operational efficiency.

The Dubai Metro, the cornerstone of the city’s public transport network, has served more than 2.4 billion riders on 4.3 million journeys, passing through 53 stations with a fleet of 129 trains. —Wow

Looking ahead, the Dubai Executive Council announced in June this year plans to expand Dubai Metro stations to 140 stations (covering 228 km) by 2040. Earlier, Dubai announced a plan to blue line of 18 billion dirhams ($4.9 billion) to support the existing red line network. and green lines by adding 30 km by 2029.

“The new line will serve a population of one million, such as Dubai Creek Harbour, Festival City, Global Village, Rashidiya, Warqa and Mirdif, as well as urban areas like Silicon Oasis, Academic City, and more,” according to an expert.

The expansion of Dubai Metro over the coming years aims to increase the share of public transport in the emirate to 45 percent, reduce carbon emissions to 16 tonnes per capita and improve the efficiency and convenience of sustainable transportation, according to RTA.

The aim, however, is not only to expand the transport network, but also to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods, which the government describes as part of the “20 Minute City” plan, meaning that all essential needs will be available within a 20 minute radius. journey.

Lanes dedicated to autonomous vehicles

In terms of security, Dubai authorities are exploring the allocation of dedicated lanes for autonomous vehicles, including a dedicated flight path for air taxis. The RTA is also exploring the expansion of dedicated bus lanes along major roads to ensure smooth travel and enhance road safety.

Meanwhile, Uber Technologies is expected to soon introduce self-driving cars in Abu Dhabi. The ride-hailing company has partnered with Chinese company WeRide to launch autonomous vehicles on its platform, which is expected to launch in the UAE later this year.

Once operational, a dedicated number of WeRide vehicles will be made available to commuters. Users will have the option to select WeRide’s robotaxis through the Uber app. However, the number of self-driving cars that will be deployed in Abu Dhabi has not been disclosed.

Driverless Abras

Autonomous water taxis are planned to transport passengers from Abu Dhabi to neighboring islands; while in Dubai, the RTA launched the trial of a driverless electric abra. The autonomous vessel was manufactured locally at the RTA’s Al Garhoud Marine Maintenance Center. Its design preserves the heritage identity of the abras

RTA said the driverless abra “has superb features highlighted by zero carbon emissions, reduced operating and maintenance costs (up to 30%) and elimination of noise compared to driverless models. diesel engine.

During the trial, the autonomous electric abra achieved “Level 4” out of the six international autonomy levels specified for ship design and operation.

“Autonomous procedures guarantee 100% compliance with the predetermined line, despite the effects of waves and wind. The boat detects obstacles in the navigation path and reports any system faults or deviations from the operating plan to the control center. The system intervenes if the abra encounters an obstacle during the journey and programs additional scenarios to handle the situation,” RTA noted, adding that this is part of the “ambitious strategy to convert 25 percent of total mobility trips to Dubai by self-travel. lead these by 2030.”

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