Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Cruise, a self-driving technology company, have started its data collection and testing of its technology for Dubai’s traffic signals, signage, and drivers’ behavior among other attributes. These activities were carried out using five Chevy Bolt-based autonomous vehicles in Jumeirah 1 area.
This move is part of the RTA’s strategy to bolster Dubai’s global leadership in self-driving transport and foster the emirate’s aspirations of becoming the world’s smartest city.
In a statement, Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency at the RTA, said: “Data collection and Testing is a crucial phase in Dubai’s quest for excellence in smart mobility and advanced technology. The work will ensure Cruise’s advanced generalizable AI and autonomous driving systems safely adapt to Dubai traffic conditions. This stage of data collection and testing for Dubai’s traffic environment will utilize five Chevy Bolt-based autonomous vehicles that will be deployed in the Jumeirah 1 area. The aim is to obtain the best readings and data through onboard lidars, radars and cameras that capture data and images within a 360-degree field of vision.”
RTA and Cruise have joined forces to run the maiden autonomous taxi service in the city. RTA seeks to deploy 4,000 autonomous vehicles by 2030 which will make Dubai the first non-U.S. city to commercialize Cruise self-driving cars.
This collaboration between the RTA and Cruise demonstrates a shared dedication to developing innovative and sustainable urban mobility solutions. The rollout of autonomous vehicles will alleviate traffic congestion, lower the number of traffic accidents, and cut harmful emissions.
On March 9, 2023, Cruise held a workshop on the next stages leading to the pilot phase of operating the service in Dubai. A technical team from Cruise took part in the workshop held at the RTA’s headquarters in Dubai.
Pooling their efforts, shared knowledge, and experiences, the technical team from Cruise and the RTA promotes cooperation and ensuring optimal deliverables of the data collection stage along with the continued development of the autonomous taxi service.
