Dubai’s first autonomous taxi to be test run during Gitex

Dubai's first self-driving taxi will be test run during Gitex Technology Week, the emirate's Road and Transport Authority said on Saturday.

Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA said the autonomous vehicle would be initially trialed on dedicated routes at Dubai Silicon Oasis.

The taxi is equipped with cameras and sensors that analyse traffic and road conditions which inform the car's movements to avoid collisions.

On Sunday, the authority also plans to unveil robot cleaners that will be deployed at Dubai Metro stations and Dubai Metro spare parts that have been 3-D printed will also be on display.

The AI-automated Chat Bot system, that responds to customer inquiries using smart communication, will be unveiled at the exhibit.

In August, the RTA said it would have autonomous vehicles on the city's roads in the "near future."

The claim came after the RTA said it had endorsed standards of testing for electric, hybrid and self-driving vehicles that will ensure the emirate is “pioneering” in the field.

Dubai targets 25 per cent of all journeys to be self-driving by 2030. The goal was set after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Smart Self-Driving vision in 2016.

The National