DUBAI SKY POD: Dubai's futuristic Sky Pods transport system (Video)

Dubai is renowned for its blue-sky thinking, so it is no surprise that the emirate is planning to get another hi-tech venture off the ground. Sky Pods – a high-speed cable car-style transport system – is being tested by the Roads and Transport Authority in partnership with creators Skywatch Greentech.

A new video gives travellers a glimpse the new technology. It shows the sky pods passing landmarks such as the DIFC and the Museum of the Future. One model, the high-speed Unibus, can carry 24 passengers at speeds of up to 150 kilometre per hour, while another, the Unibike, can be manually propelled along suspended rails at speeds of up to 150kph.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed were seen reviewing the prototypes on show at the World Government Summit in February. There will be 21 stations in total linking “vital spots", according to the government.

The system will have the capacity to transit 8,400 riders per hour in each direction. The sky pods occupy considerably less area than modes of transport of the same capacity, and use five times less power than electric vehicles. Dubai is aiming to convert 25 per cent of total journeys in the city into autonomous journeys on various transit means by 2030.

The National