Dubai RTA’s Smart Mobility Concept Picks Up

Developed by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority in partnership with Diamond Developers, the sustainable city, an eco-friendly concept powering a net-zero energy community with energy-efficient villas, promises to offer sustainable living at no extra cost.

“The UAE is the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council to commit to net-zero by 2050; all growth and development must align with that commitment, which means we have to do our bit,” Karim El-Jisr, chief sustainability officer, SSC, told Arab News.

“There would be no need to cross zebra lines or intersect with vehicles to reach any of the 1,250 villas in SSC. The residents and visitors could connect to those villas on foot,” said El-Jisr, stressing soft mobility, where people walked or cycled to commute. This would be the bottom level of the sustainability pyramid.

“The concierge team would manage buggies, which residents can book over their smartphones.,” he added, focussing on shared mobility depicting the second level of the pyramid.

The topmost level of the pyramid featured electric vehicles, and SSC will encourage people to switch from gasoline to electric cars.

Last December, UAE-based sustainable transport company ION, a joint venture between Bee’ah, the Middle East’s sustainability pioneer, and Sharjah-based Crescent Enterprises broke all barriers to mobility by launching the UAE’s first autonomous shuttle service along the Ajman Corniche between the Fairmont Hotel and the Coral Beach Hotel on the Ajman Corniche.

By receiving data from traffic lights and traffic signals, the autonomous shuttle detects the surroundings of the shuttle and sends an alert whenever it approaches a pedestrian crossing. The shuttle has an emission-free design and can seat 15 passengers simultaneously and include wheelchair accessibility.

According to Al-Shamsi, the company is also toying with the idea of launching drone delivery solutions beyond the visual line of sight, which could lead to goods delivered between buildings. The company is currently testing the system and will soon launch the first trial in cooperation with the Sharjah Civil Aviation Department.

Dubai-based Careem Bike initially introduced 800 e-bikes and 80 stations across the city under a 15-year partnership with Dubai’s Road and Transportation Authority and is poised to become the world’s largest pedal-assisted docked bike-share scheme by deploying 175 stations next month.

“We just exceeded 2 million trips and about 10 million kilometers in the distance traveled, displacing about 450 cars in the city in terms of CO2 emissions,” Sami Amin, senior director of operations, Careem Bike, told Arab News while adding that the company plans to expand to 3,500 bikes and 350 stations.

RTA is focused on transforming the car-centric Dubai roads, into the most cycle-friendly city in the world. With a clear focus on sustainable mobility, the company is exploring autonomous vehicles, delivery robots, and other electrified vehicles. “Driving sustainability is our core strategy,” said Amin.