Chauffeur cab booking service Careem plans to launch driverless pods on the streets of Dubai "within a year."
Developed in partnership with NEXT Future Transportation, as part of the Dubai Smart Government initiative, the vehicles will be phased in during a test phase in "restricted areas," the company announced on Tuesday.
"Our pods are currently in the R&D phase and within a year we will be launching the test phase, whereby fully functional prototypes will be tested in restricted areas," Careem's Vice President of Business Development and Government Relations Bassel Al Nahloui said, according to Gulf Business .
Electronic and driverless, the pods are designed to operate as a mass transportation system, allowing passengers to be picked up and dropped off at various locations. They can also link and detach, forming into a bus-like structure that will permit passengers to pass back and forth between different pods.
“As the pioneering operators of the finest taxi fleet in the UAE, we are acutely aware of the ground realities of intra-city and inter-city transport. While serving the immediate needs of the region, we are also cognizant of the importance of innovating for a greener and more delightful future,” co-founder of Careem Mudassir Sheikha said in July, when initial plans were first announced.
Careem recently partnered with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority to make public taxis available via its mobile app. The deal is part of the government's initiative to make 25 percent of trips in the emirate smart and driverless by 2030.
Yes, the future is arriving in Dubai ... once again!