Driverless Pods Set To Hit Abu Dhabi Streets By Year-End: Transport Chief

Self-driving pods could begin ferrying commuters across Abu Dhabi's busy streets by the end of this year, according to a senior official. Sebastian Mangeant, CEO of Abu Dhabi Transport Company (ADT), said that the next-gen, autonomous system Urbanloop will make daily travel safer and more efficient.

"We decided a year ago that we would go into partnership with [Urbanloop]. A year later, we have the module on the stand, and by the end of this year and toward next year, we'll have a moving system, which we'll be ready for business," Mangeant said.

He was speaking at a panel discussion at the Global Rail conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. A prototype of the capsule pods, designed for transporting people, was on display at the ADT stand.

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The show pod can accommodate a maximum of eight passengers - four seated and four standing. Larger and smaller pods are also available, ranging from two to 10-passenger capacity, according to a fact sheet seen by Khaleej Times. It is also bicycle- and wheelchair-friendly.

According to a source, the driverless system is currently in the testing phase on Abu Dhabi's Reem Island, tailored to suit the local conditions of heat and dust. A representative at the ADT stand said that in the UAE, the pod is being tested at speeds of approximately 20kmph, but the system permits it to go up to 50kmph in France.

The unique system is designed to decongest cities by allowing it to bypass stations and reach its final destination without making any stops in between. "There will be two parallel tracks," said a representative. "At each station, there will be four or five pods waiting. A passenger will be able to ride it and select which station they want to go to. If they want to go to the last station, the pod will bypass all stations and go to the last station on the parallel track."

The system was first implemented at the Paris Olympics last year, where it transported over 30,000 passengers along a 2-kilometre-long route. It is quick and easy to install, requiring minimal infrastructure and roadworks. With low power consumption, it also contributes to the UAE's environmental and climate objectives.

With its features, Urbanloop and other autonomous vehicles could prove to be a highly efficient way of offering first-and last-mile solutions to Etihad Rail passengers. "If we connect the rail network with autonomous vehicles, then you can move people away from private vehicles into utilising a shared model of vehicles," said Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space 42.

Mangeant agreed and said that Abu Dhabi could make a "bold move" in terms of autonomous vehicles, but a change in mindset is required. He said that encouraging commuters to ditch private cars will only happen when public transport becomes more convenient, comfortable, and connected.

“If people know that the whole network is interconnected and interdependency is provided, they know they are going to be taken care of,” he said. He acknowledged that current autonomous vehicle speeds of around 20km/h in mixed traffic are not ideal, but said that could change.

"If we manage to use sandbox frameworks, pilots and expansion scaling, we're going to start having a last mile which is more performant,” he said. "By doing this, you can incentivise people to actually get into public transport."

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