Self-driving abra to ferry passengers across key locations on the Dubai Creek
Dubai is giving a modern twist to the city’s beloved traditional mode of transport – say hello to the first self-driving abra!
Giving both residents and tourists something new to look forward to as they journey across the picturesque Dubai Creek, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed that it has started testing the autonomous electric abra.
With 2023 declared as the Year of Sustainability in the UAE, the new transport service will be an important step towards reducing the environmental impact of the transport sector in the UAE.
Moreover, the driverless abra is part of Dubai’s Strategy for Self-Driving Transport, which aims to convert 25 per cent of the total transportation in Dubai into self-driving journeys by 2030, according to Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.
“The Abra boasts superb features highlighted by zero carbon emissions, lower operating and maintenance costs by 30 per cent, and it eliminates noise compared to diesel-powered models,” said Al Tayer.
“It has two electric motors with a maximum speed of seven knots. It has an autonomous control system and four lithium batteries that ensure an operating time of seven hours. RTA adopted new technologies in designing the structure of the Abra and used fibreglass in the hull to reduce the weight.”
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The driverless abra can accommodate up to eight passengers. During the trial journey from Al Jaddaf Station to the Festival City Station on Dubai Creek, it achieved four out of the six levels of the international autonomy levels for ship design and operation. The RTA aims to reach level 5 of autonomy, said Al Tayer.
There are no dates yet when the driverless abra will be available to the public, but the RTA has said it aims to further enhance customer experience for marine transport, which ferried about 16 million riders in 2022, and increase the capacity of abra stations by 33 per cent.
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Image source WAM
