Dubai: Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the trial operation of the Dubai Glydways automated transit system, introducing autonomous electric vehicles supported by artificial intelligence technologies and operating on dedicated guideways.The four-week pilot forms part of the RTA's efforts to develop a smart, integrated and sustainable mobility system, adopt future transport technologies, strengthen integration between different modes of transport, and provide flexible and efficient solutions for first and last-mile journeys.The launch was witnessed by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, together with Mark Seeger, Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Glydways, and Blake Barber, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of the company.The officials reviewed the system's autonomous driving technology, vehicle traffic management systems, sensing technologies, safety and control systems, as well as the control centre responsible for managing operations and vehicle movement on dedicated guideways.Al Tayer also took part in a demonstration journey aboard a Dubai Glydways vehicle on the dedicated track at Bluewaters, owned by Dubai Retail under Dubai Holding. The five-minute trip marked the start of the pilot operation.The trial follows a cooperation agreement between the RTA and Glydways to launch the first automated transport network programme of its kind in Dubai. It is also being implemented under a partnership agreement with Dubai Holding to provide infrastructure and operational support for testing and evaluation.Al Tayer said the pilot represents an important step in the RTA's efforts to adopt and develop future mobility systems in line with Dubai's vision for smart and sustainable transport.He said the authority is committed to transforming emerging transport technologies into practical applications and testing them in Dubai's urban environment to evaluate safety, reliability and integration with public transport, particularly for first and last-mile journeys.The pilot phase will focus on assessing vehicle performance and associated technical systems, autonomous driving readiness, communication and control systems, safety and reliability levels, user experience, journey times and operational efficiency.The Dubai Glydways system uses self-driving electric vehicles that operate independently of road traffic on dedicated narrow guideways. The system uses lightweight guide structures that can be installed at ground level or elevated positions, providing flexibility in deployment and integration with existing infrastructure.The system offers an on-demand transport service, allowing passengers to travel directly between destinations around the clock. It is designed to provide fast journey times, flexible travel options and direct point-to-point connectivity.According to the RTA, the system can virtually connect more than 10 vehicles at intervals of less than one second. Each vehicle accommodates between four and six passengers, operates at speeds of up to 50km/h and can travel up to 250 kilometres on a single battery charge.The vehicles are equipped with 20 high-resolution LiDAR sensors, in addition to advanced radar and camera systems integrated with autonomous driving and artificial intelligence technologies. The RTA said the system is capable of transporting more than 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions and is designed to be scaled according to demand and urban development requirements.The authority added that the system offers high investment efficiency, with capital costs reduced by up to 90 per cent and operating costs by up to 70 per cent compared with similar transport systems.The project is being implemented under a public-private partnership model that draws on expertise from private-sector companies specialising in autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence.Providing solutions for first and last-mile journeys is a key objective of the Dubai Glydways project. Plans include studying a range of routes connecting Dubai Metro stations with residential, commercial and tourist destinations.Among the routes under study is a 2.8-kilometre link between National Paints Metro Station and Bluewaters, in addition to routes serving Jumeirah Village, Festival City, Business Bay and Mohammed Bin Rashid City.Mark Seeger said the pilot operation represents an important milestone in cooperation with the RTA and demonstrates the potential of automated transport networks to provide flexible, high-capacity, on-demand mobility services for modern cities.Founded in 2016, Glydways specialises in developing automated transport networks using self-driving electric vehicles and provides scalable systems designed to enhance accessibility and connectivity between different modes of transport.
