Driverless Taxis Available On Select Abu Dhabi Routes Book Your Ride Through Uber

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

With only a limited number of self-driving taxis operating on select routes in Abu Dhabi, many residents have been hoping to get lucky and be driven to their destination in these autonomous vehicles (AV).

The autonomous vehicles (AVs) were launched in December through a partnership between Uber Technologies and WeRide, with support from the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility). For now, the self-driving taxis operate only in specific locations, making each ride a bit of a lucky draw.

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In an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Mohamad Jardaneh, head of Autonomous Mobility at Uber Middle East, shared tips on how riders can increase their chances of getting one of these futuristic rides.

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“Customers in Abu Dhabi can increase their chances of being matched with an AV by opting in via the Ride Preferences section of their Uber app under Settings,” he said.“Riders who request an UberX or Uber Comfort may be matched with a WeRide vehicle if the route is part of the operating area and a dedicated vehicle is available.”

He said that if an AV vehicle is available to complete the trip, Uber will match the rider to the vehicle. If the customer confirms a self-driving vehicle is dispatched to pick them up. Currently, riders are not able to specifically request an autonomous ride.

He added that riders in Abu Dhabi will“pay the UberX or Uber Comfort rates” and that if a rider chooses to decline, they will be rematched with a conventional vehicle at no additional charge.

Safety is paramount

As part of the initial launch phase, each self-driving taxi in Abu dhabi currently has a trained safety operator on board to ensure a secure and reliable experience for riders and pedestrians. Mohamad aid this will lay the groundwork“for a fully driverless commercial service” later this year. He added that a similar safety operator will be placed in AVs in Dubai as well when the pilot project is rolled out later this year.

On Sunday, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan was briefed about the roadmap of the deployment of these vehicles. Over 60 vehicles will be deployed to carry out road mapping, data collection, and route scanning in the first phase of rolling out autonomous taxis in Dubai. The second phase will see pilot operations launched in up to 65 designated zones across the emirate.

Mohamed stressed that safety remains Uber's top priority.“The AVs are equipped with state-of-the-art safety features, including radar, cameras, and lidar sensors to detect and respond to various traffic situations,” he said.

“Autonomous systems can help improve the safety of road users by eliminating human distractions, potentially creating safer roads for everyone. Uber's approach includes ongoing testing, monitoring, and collaborating with local regulators to ensure safety remains a core principle throughout the rollout," he added.

He also noted that Uber is collaborating closely with local regulators to maintain safety standards and ensure compliance throughout the rollout.

Global expansion

As autonomous technology becomes more mainstream, Mohamed said that Uber aims to play a leading role in its global expansion.“The future of mobility is clearly heading toward shared, electric, multimodal, and autonomous solutions.

"Rather than building AVs ourselves, our goal is to work with the world's leading autonomous technology developers to help deploy this technology at scale," he noted.

The UAE marks Uber's first international market for autonomous mobility outside the US. Globally, the company is now partnering with 14 technology firms across its mobility, delivery, and freight operations.

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